Fractured Love
by Ocena Strex
Summary: Cloud's past in Nibelheim has left him in a troubled state. His best friend Zack is the only one willing to sacrifice his dream of joining SOLDIER to take care of him. One day he's presented with the option of helping Cloud and fulfilling his dream after all. Will it prove to be the right decision, or will it only tear the two friends apart?
1. Memories

**A/N: **Hello everyone, and welcome to my first official FF7 fanfic.

After writing a few fics for Yu-Gi-Oh! I wanted to dive into a new fandom. This particular story spawned from a variety of things. First of all, many months ago JollyBigSis sent me the link to an awesome FF7 fic. Then I also started browsing the fandom, and found some ZackxCloud fics that made me fall completely in love with the pairing! I was more of an CloudxSephiroth before that. Then I realised how annoyed I was that I'm only really familiar with the original game and the movie, due to not owning a PSP or any PS. I only knew about the others from what I've read about them. Thankfully, I found an LP on YouTube of Crisis Core, and have spent many hours drooling over it. Oh boy, did I see the shipping possibilities of the two spiky-haired boys.

And then, out of the middle of nowhere, this story was born. I just started writing it to see how far it would take me, and it took a long while before I stopped. The vibe feels good, and I quickly had a general feel for the main plot. Figuring out the details wasn't that hard and only made me grow more excited.

So basically I'm feeling really good about this story, and I hope my first real dive into the FF7 fandom (not really counting Materia Duel) will be entertaining.

So let me briefly get into a couple of things:

1) I will update once every 2 weeks on Monday. It's no use to ask me to update any sooner.

2) I love reviews with constructive feedback. I want to learn and grow.

3) This fic will be T-rated, though there are some dark and sexual themes. I don't write lemons though, only allude to them, so I should be safe.

Without any further ado, I'll let you get to reading. Remember, I do not own FF7 or any of its characters, Zack and Cloud rock, and Sephiroth is the best antagonist ever created. Oh yeah! And I love reviews!

Enjoy!

0o0o0

**Memories**

The first memory that Cloud had was both an agonizing and a fond one. He didn't remember quite how old he was back then, but he guessed he was around four years old. Back then the children of his hometown of Nibelheim usually gathered together to play, but even at his young and innocent age Cloud was being picked on. The other children called him names, saying that he looked like a chocobo due to his blonde spiky hair, and always found some reason to leave him out. If he was the only kid wearing a green shirt, then the rule of the day was that kids with green shirts weren't allowed to play along. It always hurt him, and made him wonder what he had done to deserve it, but when he started crying the kids would laugh at him, calling him a chocobo cry baby. That hurt even more.

Luckily there was one kid who always stood up for him. Even though he was two years older, Zack had always looked after him. And that's where the agonizing memory turned into a fond one.

"_Cloud!" Zack, who had just walked up to the cluster of gathered children only to see Cloud standing a little ways apart, called out, "What have these guys done this time?" He asked of the crying blonde, grabbing his shoulders with both hands and lowering himself to the younger's eye level._

_Cloud sniffed and removed his hands from his face, looking at the dark, spiky-haired kid in front of him with relief, "Z-Zack, they-they won't l-let me p-play with-with them."_

"_Pfft. That chocobo cry baby really can't take anything. We were only joking around." One of the other kids defended himself._

_Zack felt himself become angry and turned around to face the speaker, barely managing to keep himself from punching the kid in the face, "Well my dad says that it's not a very funny joke if you make someone cry. And he doesn't like being called that, so stop it!"_

"_Yeah whatever." The kid looked behind him to see his friends nod in agreement at their leader's reply._

"_Why do you insist on protecting him Zack?" Another kid spoke up, "My dad says that he needs to toughen up and stop crying so much, otherwise he won't become a man."_

_And that's what angered Zack even more. Cloud wasn't only picked on by his peers, but even some of the adults in this town considered him the runt of the litter. In his young age Zack didn't understand it, but it just felt wrong to him nevertheless._

"_Well, your dad can just mind his own business. Meanwhile Cloud and I will go play somewhere else. And we're going to have a lot more fun than you could ever have." Zack turned back to the blonde, "Isn't that right Cloud?"_

_Cloud smiled through his tears and fervently nodded his head. Zack stood back up and took his hand. Cloud dried his tears as Zack led him away from the mean kids to go and play somewhere else._

Whenever Cloud thought back to that specific moment, and the similar moments that followed it, he would smile. Zack was always there for him, protecting him, and never asked for anything in return except his friendship. He always allowed Cloud to choose what they were going to do, and stood up for him whenever someone was mean to him, even if it was an adult. Over time, Cloud began to admire his friend for his strength. Both of them didn't have any siblings, but they thought of each other as brothers. Zack was one of the few people who made him smile.

0o0o0

Today was another boring day. Zack was leaning on the counter of the small item shop he owned, wondering whether anything interesting was going to happen that day. Then again, he lived in a backwater town in the middle of nowhere. Nothing interesting ever happened here. Besides that, Zack felt little for the people who lived in it. Even though he was now a young man of eighteen, standing on his own two feet, he couldn't forgive them for how they had treated Cloud in the past, and continued to treat him today.

Zack sighed and looked to his right, where the object of his concern was sitting on a stool while quietly reading a book. The years hadn't been kind to his best friend. He was very quiet and withdrawn from the world around him. He barely smiled and generally only talked to Zack. The townsfolk said he wasn't right in the head, and that Zack only burdened himself by continuing to take care of him. But Zack refused to acknowledge that. He didn't blame Cloud for being the way he was. This town had never accepted him, which was quite a big deal in a small town such as Nibelheim, where everyone knew everyone else. It had gotten worse over the past year though. Before that, Cloud would at least attempt to mingle from time to time, but after his mother, his last remaining relative, died, he had pretty much shut down. If it wasn't for Zack, who was the only one willing to pick him up and take him under his wing, who knows what would have become of the blonde.

Zack looked back towards the door when he heard it open. He straightened up and saw a young girl walk inside his shop. He couldn't help but smile a little when he saw who it was.

"Heya Tifa." He greeted warmly.

Tifa returned the smile, "Hi Zack." She greeted back, before turning her gaze to Cloud, "Hi Cloud." She tried, but the blonde gave no response, but kept his eyes on his reading.

"Cloud." Zack admonished while turning his attention back to his unresponsive friend, "The least you can do is say hi back."

The tension in Cloud's shoulders was unmistakable as he slowly lifted his eyes from his book. He looked at Zack pleadingly, occasionally shifting his eyes to the long-haired brunette standing near the doorway. He resembled a little kid having his first encounter with a Nibel Wolf. The message was clear to all occupants of the room. He was scared and was begging the only one he trusted to not having to comply.

"It's okay Zack." Tifa said softly as she slowly approached the counter, "I understand."

Her eyes lingered for a moment on the blonde, who quickly lowered his head back to his book. Zack felt bad for the girl. Out of all the people, Tifa was the only one he did like. Even though she was popular among the other kids, she never participated in their bullying of Cloud. She had even been nice to him on many occasions, but had never really gotten the chance to get to know him, because her father never approved of it. He wanted his daughter to stay away from him, saying that he had a bad influence on her. Even though Tifa didn't agree with her father, she would never openly defy him, and thus kept her distance from the blonde. Yet Zack suspected that she would have liked to become his friend. But now Cloud wouldn't even acknowledge her, let alone speak to her. Out of all people he thought Cloud would be a little bit more relaxed around Tifa, but he guessed that he was wrong about that.

"Fine." Zack sighed and turned his attention back to the brunette, "What can I get you today Tifa?"

"We're out of our supply of potions. Work at the reactor has been hard lately, and my dad has been using them nearly daily. Can you help me out?"

"Sure. I got a new supply of them only yesterday, so I've got plenty. I can grab you a box from the storage room. There's twenty in there. Will that be enough to last you a while?"

"Yeah, that should do it."

Zack smiled at her, "Okay, I'll go get them then. I'll be right back."

As soon as he had spoken those words Cloud quickly slipped off his stool and joined Zack's side. Zack sighed, but allowed the blonde to follow him to the storage room where he kept his ware not currently on display. That was something else about Cloud. He couldn't bear to let Zack out of his sight. Not having his raven-haired friend in his sight, or within earshot at least, would cause him to panic. It sometimes annoyed Zack that he could never be truly alone, but understood Cloud's need to have him near. Zack was the only person he had left in life, and he needed to make sure that he wasn't going to leave him. It was an anxiety the blonde had picked up after losing his mother.

"So are you going to tell me why you didn't even greet Tifa just now?" Zack asked his friend while he rummaged through the boxes to find the right one.

Cloud's gaze turned to his feet, while one of them traced invisible patterns on the floor, "You know why." He replied softly.

Zack sighed again and turned his attention to the uneasy blonde, "No I don't Cloud. Tifa is a nice girl. She's the only one who even bothers to acknowledge that you're there, and this is how you repay her kindness? I know you're scared, but you should try to open up a bit."

Cloud shook his head, "I don't want to." He whined, his voice betraying the fact he was on the verge of tears.

"Hey." Zack said gently as he walked up to Cloud and hugged him. Cloud immediately relaxed at the gesture, while Zack continued, "It's all right Spiky. I understand if you're not ready yet, but please think about it. You don't want to have to cling to me forever, do you?"

"You're not going to leave me, are you?" Cloud asked in shock as he looked up pleadingly into Zack's eyes, "Please don't leave me Zack, please!"

Zack shushed him and gently pressed the blonde's head to his shoulder, "I'm not going anywhere Cloud. I promised I would take care of you, remember? When have I ever broken my promise to you?"

"Never."

"And I'm not about to change that." He confirmed, placing a kiss on top of his blonde spikes. He then gently pushed Cloud back, but held him by his shoulders and looked him into the eye, "I promise that I won't leave you, but that doesn't take away the fact that I want you to think about what I just said."

Cloud hesitated for a moment, but nodded eventually, reassured by his friend's promise. It made Zack smile at him, before releasing him and going back to finding the box. He soon found it and brought it back to the front of the store where Tifa was still waiting for them.

Cloud silently sat back down on his stool and picked up the book he had left on the counter so he could continue reading it. It almost seemed as if nothing had happened, but Tifa wasn't fooled. She had heard Cloud's outcry for Zack not to leave him. It had broken her heart to hear such desperation in his voice. She hadn't heard the rest of the conversation, but knew from that that something had occurred. She had bitten her lip when she heard that, using all of her strength to keep herself from walking to the back and comforting the blonde herself. The only thing that stopped her from doing so was the fact that Zack was the only one who could calm Cloud down, and that her presence would probably only aggravate the situation. But that didn't make her feel any better. She wanted to do something to help Cloud, but not being able to do anything for him made her feel utterly helpless.

If she was truly honest with herself she knew exactly where these feelings were coming from. Tifa had always felt something for the blonde boy, even though she never really got to know him. He wasn't like the other boys, who tried to prove either their strength or bravery to her in order to get into her favour. When they were young she simply thought that boys were stupid for doing that, but when they all grew up to be teens it turned into something more. She started to understand that she was popular for the simple fact that she was the only girl their age, and that they were simply trying to impress her enough to go out on a date with them. But not Cloud. Cloud never tried to impress her. Whenever she did talk to him he was always simply being nice to her, without any expectations, and that made her smile.

"_Hi Cloud!" Tifa called out at the boy sitting on top of the water tower in the middle of the town._

"_Hey Tifa!" Cloud called back, waving cheerfully at the girl._

"_What are you doing up there?"_

"_I'm waiting for Zack. I've got something great to tell him." He said with big smile, "Hey, you wanna know it too?"_

_Tifa smiled, happy to be invited to be included in whatever they boy had to say, "Sure, but how do I get up there?"_

_Cloud laughed and stood up, walking over to the other side of the tower, "Zack showed me. Just climb up on this side. The boards are fairly close to one another, so it shouldn't be that hard."_

_With the help of Cloud, Tifa successfully climbed to the top of the tower. From it she had a great view over the town, so she understood why Cloud and Zack used it as their meeting place. They both walked back to the other side and sat down. They chatted for a bit while waiting for Zack to arrive a few minutes later._

"_Heya Spiky." The raven-haired boy greeted him as he rounded the corner. Upon seeing Tifa, he shot her a smile, "Oh heya Tifa. I didn't know you were invited too."_

_Zack moved to sit down next to Cloud. Tifa noticed the way Cloud looked at him with adoration, and felt a pang of jealousy. But that feeling quickly faded away when Cloud turned his attention back to her with a big smile._

"_I hadn't, but she happened to come by and I thought she might like to know it too."_

"_All right then Spiky. Don't leave us in suspension. What is it?"_

_Cloud's eyes grew with excitement. Tifa thought it was cute how Cloud didn't hide it to act all tough in front of her. Even though he was one year older than her, he was never afraid to be the child he was._

"_Dad's going to take me to the reactor tomorrow! He's going to show me everything!"_

"_Wow! That's awesome Spiky." Zack said with a smile, "Your old man is going to show you the ropes, eh?"_

"_Yeah." Cloud nodded, "I'm so excited! I wish tomorrow was here already."_

_Tifa chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm. Most of the people of Nibelheim worked at the Mako reactor situated in Mount Nibel. For that reason it was considered as dull by most other boys, but apparently not for Cloud. He obviously took pride in his father's job._

"_What does your father do at the reactor?" Tifa asked._

_Cloud turned his attention back to her, a thoughtful expression on his face, "I'm not sure actually, but he's no doubt going to show me."_

"_I bet he will." Zack confirmed, "Before the day's out, you'll know everything, and then you can show those brats how smart you are."_

_Cloud blushed at his friend's comment and lowered his gaze, "I don't care about them." He said softly, "I just want to be just like my dad and you Zack."_

"_Awe, you flatter me Spiky." Zack said while ruffling the younger boy's hair._

_Cloud's smile returned as he batted his friend's hand away. Zack laughed, and Tifa couldn't help but laugh along. After a brief romp in which Zack tried to ruffle Cloud's hair again, while Cloud tried to keep him from doing so, Zack eventually put his arm around Cloud's shoulders and hugged him close. Tifa felt that pang of jealousy again at how close the two boys were, but she quickly shrugged it off. They were best friends, of course they had a bond. Besides, it wasn't like Zack was keeping Cloud away from her. If anything Zack always seemed to appreciate Tifa's kindness towards the younger boy._

"_I want Cloud to be Cloud, though." Zack suddenly spoke up, making both others regard him with curiosity, waiting for him to elaborate, "I like you this way Spiky. Just imagine two Zacks running around town. The townsfolk would be driven nuts!" He said, causing the three of them to laugh again. The thought alone was enough to have them in stitches._

_After a while their laughter subsided and Tifa spoke up, "So, you want to work at the reactor when you grow up Cloud?"_

_Cloud turned to her again and shot her another smile, "Yeah! Just like my dad."_

_Tifa chuckled, "And what about you Zack?"_

_Zack suddenly turned serious. He lifted his eyes to gaze up at the blue sky above them, "Me? Well I would like to get out of this sleepy town once I'm old enough. I want to see the world and protect those in it. I want to join SOLDIER, so I can become a hero."_

_The way Zack spoke those words told the two other children that this was a big dream of his. Cloud looked at him in admiration again, and even Tifa couldn't help but be impressed._

"_What about you Tifa?" Zack asked after a short moment of silence, focusing his attention on the girl._

"_Me?" Tifa asked, surprised that Zack had asked her that, "Well, I'm not sure really. I'll probably marry once I'm old enough and become a housewife or something."_

"_Tsk." Zack scoffed and rolled his eyes, "A tough girl like you? Don't make me laugh Tifa. I can't imagine that you would be happy like that. Come on. What's your dream?"_

_Tifa sighed and turned her attention to her dangling feet, thinking about what the older boy had said. A small smile suddenly creased her lips, "Well, I uhm…I would like to work in a bar. You know, meeting lots of different people and being able to talk to them. Perhaps even help them out?"_

_Cloud, who had listened to her attentively, gave her a big smile again, "I think that's a wonderful dream Tifa! I think it really suits you, don't you think so too Zack?"_

_Zack nodded in agreement, "Cloud's right Tifa. You should embrace your dreams."_

_Tifa smiled in appreciation as she turned back to face the two boys next to her. Any of the other boys would have mocked her over this, but not Zack, and certainly not Cloud. She felt a surge of affection for the both of them well up inside of her._

"_Hey." Cloud spoke up, breaking Tifa from her thoughts, "Let's make a promise."_

_Zack cocked his head in curiosity, "What kind of promise?"_

"_Let's promise one another that we will make our dreams come true."_

_Zack smiled affectionately at his blonde friend, "Yeah, I think that's a good promise. Count me in, Spiky."_

_Cloud beamed at his raven-haired friend before turning his attention back to Tifa, "What about you Tifa?"_

_Tifa was a little bit hesitant. She knew that her father had other plans for her, and that there was no way she could make her dream come true. But here she had an opportunity to become a part of something with Cloud. Giving in to this desire, she smiled at the two and nodded._

"_All right. I promise."_

Tifa blinked to hide the tears that threatened to form in her eyes at the memory. That was six years ago, and although it was a happy one, it also reminded her of how they all couldn't hold up to that promise. Cloud was in no state to work at the reactor, and Zack's care for him prevented him from leaving his side and join SOLDIER. Instead he had taken over the item shop, which up until that point was run by an old man in need of retirement, so he could always have Cloud near him without any trouble. He hated the job, but he was willing to make that sacrifice for his friend. And Tifa was where she expected to be. Now that she was fifteen, her father had already begun scouting for potential match ups for his daughter. Her chances of leaving town and work at a bar were next to nothing. Instead, she, just like Zack, was stuck in this hellhole.

Ironically, the memory also signified something even more painful, for it was the last day that Cloud had smiled so readily. The next day, while Cloud's father was showing him around the reactor, there was a sudden malfunction. The official reports about what had exactly occurred said that mister Strife had been careless while trying to fix it, and had fallen over the railing and right into the pool of liquid Mako below. But Tifa remembered that Cloud had been screaming something about a monster attacking and killing his father in front of his eyes when other workers had brought him back to town. It was from that day on that Cloud started to change, especially when people started calling him nuts, claiming that the shock of losing his father had driven him mad. For some reason, Tifa never believed them. Having lost her own mother only a year before this incident she knew how it felt to lose a parent, and she hated how the town never did anything to help out Cloud and his mother. No, there was something fishy about the entire story.

"Tifa? Hey, you okay?" Zack's voice cut through her thoughts, startling her.

The raven-haired young man was looking at her with concern, but Tifa quickly shot him a smile, "Y-yeah, I'm fine. Just lost in thought, that's all." She tried to reassure him, but judging from his expression she knew she wasn't very convincing.

"Then why are you crying?"

Tifa reached up with her hand to touch her cheek. Sure enough her fingers were met with warm moisture. Without realising it, she hadn't been able to hold back her tears after all. She started wiping at her face, "Uhm…I uhm…I was jus-"

"Thinking about Cloud, right?" Zack supplied softly, his own expression turning mournful.

"Uhm…yeah…" Tifa admitted, wiping the last tear away, "Sorry about that."

"It's all right Tifa. I understand."

Zack glanced to his side to see Cloud pretending to ignore them and continue reading, but he saw how he was watching them from underneath his blonde bangs, while chewing his lower lip. He sighed, knowing it was futile to hope that Cloud would actually do something to make Tifa feel better. He also didn't understand why the blonde stubbornly continued to block everyone but himself out. He was convinced that Cloud could become better, and that interacting with Tifa would be a way to start, but there was only so far he could push him.

"That'll be a 1000 gill Tifa." Zack said as he turned back to the girl, changing the subject back to what Tifa had come here to do in order to prevent the situation from becoming even more awkward.

"Right." Tifa replied as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the money, "Here you go."

Zack took the money and deposited in a wooden box underneath the counter, "Come back if you need some more. You know where to find me."

Tifa nodded and took the box off the counter, "I will, thanks. Bye Zack." She then hesitated for a moment, glancing over to the blonde, seeing the bright blue of his eyes peek from under his bangs, "Bye Cloud." She said in a whisper before turning to walk away.

"Bye...Tifa."

The words had been spoken very softly and hesitantly, and for a moment Tifa thought she had imagined it. But when she turned around she could clearly see Cloud quickly avert his gaze, and turn his attention back to his book. She also saw how Zack was staring at the blonde in surprise. She smiled, knowing that Cloud had actually spoken to her.

0o0o0

**A/N: **So…you like? Personally I like how I've been able to take small little elements from the canon and incorporate them into my little AU. Like the promise.

Now my goals for this story is characterization most of all. I'd like to keep the characters as IC as possible, though Cloud will inevitably be OOC due to his anxiety. Then again, in the game he turns quite emo after the Temple of the Ancients until he gets himself sorted out in the Lifestream, only to turn emo in Advent Children again… In any case, I love feedback, so please tell me whenever you feel that I'm straying from their personalities.

Another goal is dialogue flow. When I wrote Overcoming Differences (my previous story) I eventually started to notice that I might be adding too much description to a conversation. I spelled out the emotions and the movements of the characters that it started to bother even myself. It is part of my writing style, but I want to try and let the dialogue and the situation speak for themselves without spelling it out to the reader all the time. If you understand what I mean and are willing to give me feedback on this, by all means do so!

Until next time! Leave a review on your way out please!


	2. Crushed Hopes

**A/N: **Welcome to chapter 2 of Fractured Love!

Thanks to all the people who follow / favourite this story. I haven't gotten any reviews so far though, so please do not hesitate to leave a word or two.

Without any further ado, I'll let you get to reading. Remember, I do not own FF7 or any of its characters, Zack and Cloud rock, and Sephiroth is the best antagonist ever created.

Enjoy!

0o0o0

**Crushed hopes**

Night had settled on Nibelheim. One by one the lights in the houses faded as its residents made their way to their beds. For Zack this was always the most awkward moment of the day. Cloud couldn't sleep on his own, so for the peace of mind of both of them they shared a bed. At first Zack hadn't seen this as much of problem. Cloud was his best friend and Zack was perfectly willing to comfort his friend and chase his nightmares away. It was just that Cloud's needs had grown rather…controversial over time.

Cloud needed to be able to see Zack, or at least hear him, but when he settled down to sleep he needed physical confirmation that his raven-haired friend was there. Just lying next to him wasn't enough however. No, Cloud would cling to Zack like a little child would cling to a stuffed animal. But that wasn't really Zack's problem. His problem was what the blonde was about to request from him.

"Zack." Cloud said softly in the other's ear, receiving a sleepy grunt in reply that he had heard him, "I can't sleep."

Zack sighed, opened his eyes and turned his head to look at Cloud. Even in the darkness he could make out his expectant look, pleading him to help him out with his predicament. There was only one way that he knew of that would help Cloud sleep, and he dreaded it every time. It just felt so unnatural to him. Cloud was his best friend, but like a brother, not like a lover. And yet Cloud's mind had somehow convinced himself that he needed that physical touch in order to convince himself that Zack wasn't going to leave him.

Cloud wanted, no needed, Zack to touch him intimately; to feel the pleasure coursing through his body, making him forget his troubles if only for a little while. At one point Cloud had gotten into a panic attack over this issue. He had been pleading Zack to help him feel good, to stay with him, to convince him he wasn't going to leave him, and Zack hadn't know what else to do but pleasure him with shaking hands. He had felt disgusted with himself afterwards, but Cloud didn't seem bothered in any way. He had fallen into a peaceful sleep afterwards, and acted like nothing bad had happened the next day.

After that first time Cloud had requested the same with increasingly shorter intervals. Eventually Zack stopped resisting and gave in more readily, knowing nothing else he could do. It had become a routine that he had eventually grown numb to. He felt like he did what needed to be done, even if he also felt that it was wrong. It wasn't just because he didn't love Cloud like a lover, but also because Nibelheim was a very traditional town. They were all raised with traditional norms and values, which meant that boys would marry girls and have children. The men would provide for their wives by working hard every day while the women would stay at home to cook, clean and take care of the kids. To the townspeople it was unthinkable that two people of the same gender could get together.

Both Zack and Cloud had been raised with those same values. Homosexuality was not something that was tolerated. Even though Zack was convinced that he wasn't actually gay, the fact that he and Cloud did things that gay people would do made him feel uncomfortable. They had been able to keep Cloud's growing need to feel his best friend a secret, but Zack knew that there were rumours. It was only because of Zack's good family name and the fact that the town needed his item shop that the rumours stayed just that, and the people didn't take any measures to find out the truth. The two friends would have long been chased out of town if they had.

It was a good thing that the rumours didn't turn into over curiosity, because Cloud's need hadn't only become more frequent, but also more intimate. It wasn't just the simple matter to have Zack reach into his pants to jerk him off anymore. Over a relatively short period of time Cloud had grown from needing just that to needing to have Zack have real sex with him. This is what Zack disliked the most about this. He didn't just have to pleasure Cloud, but he also needed to become hard himself and forcefully feel the pleasure course through his own body. Though it became slightly easier with each time he had done it before, it was still difficult each and every time. It was not what Zack wanted for both himself and his best friend, but he knew not what else to do. Cloud would get into a panic attack if he wouldn't do it, and he just didn't want him to suffer any more. He was caught in a vicious circle that only spiralled downwards. His only break was when he would see a small smile on Cloud's face and sleep peacefully after he had indulged him. The smile in particular, something that was so beautiful to see on the blonde's face but so rare nowadays, almost made it seem worth it. Almost, because a few nights later, or like recently even several nights in a row, the spiral just continued to plunge downwards. There was no escape.

And so Zack turned around, hovering over the blonde as the latter looked at him with gratitude and trust. That look made Zack's gut wrench in his stomach. If he didn't know any better he would say that the blonde was looking at him with love. But he kept telling himself that there was no real love involved from either side. All Cloud wanted was to forget, to briefly plunge into a world where his problems did not exist. The fact that Zack was another guy was simply how things turned out to be. If Zack's and Tifa's relationship to him had been switched, and it was Tifa who hovering over him now it would have been the same. There was no love, no lust, only need.

"Are you sure?" Zack asked with a whisper. He knew the answer, for it was the same every time, but he still had to ask. He hoped that one day it would be negative, indicating that Cloud was healing, but today was not that day.

"Please Zack. I need you." Cloud whimpered as he clung to his best friend's neck and held him tightly, as if afraid he was going to go away.

Zack sighed and set to work like he had done so many times before now. He watched him as he worked on satisfying Cloud's need. He witnessed how Cloud's frightful expression turned into one of unrestrained pleasure as he was being kissed and touched. Hurt, sadness and confusion all briefly showed in his blue eyes upon penetration, but the pleasure soon took them away until there was nothing left but itself. It was a relief to Zack to witness his best friend in this state, but he still hated how he was brought into it and by whom.

A few minutes later Zack was watching his blonde friend as the spend youth drifted off into an easy slumber, a relaxed expression on his face as he held Zack's hand close to him, his connection that would help him remain like this. Again mixed feelings coursed through Zack. He was happy that Cloud was sleeping so peacefully, free of the nightmares that would still sometimes plague him. Yet at the same time he was once again disgusted by what they had just done.

He tried to not let it show to Cloud. At this moment it was the only thing that could give him happiness, however remote it was, and Zack didn't want him to agonise over the fact. Cloud had nowhere else to go, and was only safe because Zack took care of him. He mustn't feel unwanted in any way, for Zack feared the consequences if he did. What if Cloud ran away because he thought Zack didn't want him anymore? In his state anyone could take advantage of him. No, it was better this way; better to have Zack feel disgusted than have Cloud wind up somewhere on the streets. He could only hope that Cloud would heal one day, and that they could both move on with their lives.

0o0o0

The next morning came and went like usual. Zack woke up first, lying close to Cloud due to the latter still cradling his hand. It had been another peaceful night for the blonde, and for that Zack was grateful. He gently shook his friend's shoulder to wake him up, knowing that Cloud would panic if he managed to untangle his hand without waking him up and Cloud would wake up later without Zack right next to him. Cloud stirred and sleepily opened up his eyes to have Zack be the first thing he saw. He smiled before he yawned and rubbed his eyes.

It often confused Zack by how normal he seemed on such mornings. After the first few times he had even taken it as a sign that Cloud was healing, but he knew better now. Cloud could only wake up like this if Zack was the first thing he saw as he was roused from sleep. Even if Zack was just on the other side of the room, if Cloud didn't see him right away and his muddled mind hadn't been able to take in his surroundings yet he would instantly panic. He would be fine once he knew that Zack was right there, but needed that confirmation first.

After waking up they settled into their regular morning routine. While Zack took his shower Cloud would be standing right outside the door. But since the blonde couldn't see him Zack was forced to either keep on talking to him or sing under the shower to give Cloud the reassurance that he was still there. It was the same whenever Cloud took a shower or either of them needed to use the toilet. It was inconvenient, but Zack felt that it was better than having Cloud right there in the room with him. At least this way he could still get a little bit of privacy.

After their business in the bathroom was done they would get dressed, have some breakfast and open up the shop. Zack leaned of the counter waiting for costumers to show up or sweep the floor while Cloud settled himself on the stool with a book, not being a bother to anyone. Still the townspeople would often shoot the troubled teen barely concealed condescending looks, or even voice hurtful remarks. Cloud always seemed to ignore them, but Zack could tell by the tension in his shoulders that he was uncomfortable. It was on moments like these that he just couldn't help but stand up for his unresponsive friend. The fact that business was better than usual, with a lot of people buying potions for the reactor workers nowadays, certainly didn't help. Zack was glad for the money, but he was getting sick of dealing with the people who gave it to him. He desperately wanted to get out of this town. If it wasn't for the fact that he had no idea where to go, and would probably just run into the same situation because of Cloud's state, he probably would have done just that a long time ago.

As the day grew to a close there were sudden noises coming from outside. It sounded like people talking excitedly, but both Zack and Cloud had no idea what it was about. Curious, Zack went to look at what the fuss was about. Naturally Cloud followed him, keeping close to his best friend so he wouldn't leave his sight. What they saw was a small group of soldiers. Both young men instantly recognised their uniforms, identifying them as Shinra infantrymen. But this wasn't what brought the commotion about, since it was around the time of the year when Shinra would send a team to do a routine check up on their reactor. The thing that had gotten all the townspeople so excited was the man that was standing right in front of the group of soldiers. With his long silver hair and black leather outfit it was none other than General Sephiroth.

Zack gawked at the man. He was his example, his idol, his hero. He was the reason why Zack wanted to join SOLDIER in the first place. It was after hearing so many stories about this man's heroic acts during the war with Wutai that Zack started to cherish the dream of becoming a hero himself. To have the man stand in front of him was like meeting God himself.

Cloud was also awed by him. Naturally he too had heard the stories of the great General. The man was a living legend. Everyone had heard of him. But this also made Cloud afraid of him. The man stood there, towering over most of the gathered people by not only his height, but his mere presence. He carried an aura that told everyone of his power. Masamune, a sword which seemed impossible to wield by its sheer length alone, but which was in fact a powerful weapon that only Sephiroth could wield, was strapped to his back, but even if it wasn't he would still have that same commanding aura simply oozing from him. Only someone without any common sense would think about opposing him, and out of fear Cloud hid himself behind Zack, hoping that the intimidating man wasn't going to do anything horrible to them.

Zack hardly noticed his cowering friend, his attention solely fixed on the General. He watched as the mayor of their town walked up to nervously greet the party, "General Sephiroth sir. Welcome to Nibelheim. To what do we owe you this visit?"

"We have received reports of a malfunction at the reactor in Mount Nibel." Sephiroth responded in a commanding voice that indicated he was here on business, not for social talk, "I have come to look into this matter myself and solve the issue if I can."

The mayor frowned, "Forgive me sir, but why would Shinra send a man like you to fix a simple malfunction?"

Sephiroth glared at the man, causing him to instantly cower at the sheer force of it, "That is none of your concern." He replied with a dismissive shake of his head, "You will arrange lodgings for me and my party during our stay here. You will also make sure the reactor is evacuated for the duration of the investigation. One worker will suffice to serve as our guide."

"Y-Yes. O-Of course s-sir."

"Good." Sephiroth nodded approvingly before turning to the soldiers he had brought with him, "You are dismissed until tomorrow morning. Report back for duty at seven hundred hours sharp."

"Yessir!" The soldiers saluted sharply before dispersing.

Sephiroth then turned around and walked away to the inn, getting out of sight from the townspeople. The crowd dispersed with people chatting excitedly about the General's arrival. The mayor let out a huge sigh of relief before he set out to do the stuff Sephiroth had ordered him to take care of. Things quickly settled down after that.

The awed spell that had taken over Zack upon gazing on the great silver-haired General himself finally dissipated, and he broke out in a huge grin as he turned his attention to the blonde behind him, "Did you see that Cloud? Sephiroth is actually here! The great General himself has come to our town of all places."

"Yeah." Cloud confirmed unsurely, his eyes not leaving the spot the man had vacated just moments before as if to confirm that he was really gone for now.

Zack frowned and cocked his head as he crossed his arms, "What's the matter Cloud? Aren't you excited?"

"I…" Cloud started hesitatingly before shaking his head vigorously and clinging to Zack, "Please don't leave me Zack! I need you!" He yelled, though luckily his voice was muffled because he had buried his face into Zack's shirt, so they didn't attract any attention from the townspeople.

Zack looked at the blonde in shock and confusion, not knowing what had caused such a reaction from him. He gently patted his back while he shushed him in an effort to comfort him, "It's all right Cloud. I'm right here. Let's go inside all right?"

Cloud continued to cling to him as Zack led them both back inside the shop and away from any prying eyes. Upon entering he locked the door behind him and turned his attention back to the distraught teen clinging to him for dear life, "Can you tell me what's wrong Cloud? Why do you think I'm going to leave you? You know I promised you I would never do that."

Cloud whimpered and didn't release his grip on Zack's shirt, but he at least lifted his head as he replied, "I know it's your dream to be in SOLDIER; to be like Sephiroth. But you can't leave me Zack. You promised me!"

"Hey hey." Zack tried to shush him and drew him back into a hug, but it did little to calm the blonde down, so he continued, "I gave up my dream to be in SOLDIER the moment you needed me to take care of you. Just because General Sephiroth is here doesn't mean that's going to change."

But Cloud refused to be reassured, "How can I know for sure? How can I know your dream isn't more important than me?"

Zack, hurt by the fact that Cloud could even suggest such a thing, pushed Cloud back and leaned down so he could look him into his eyes, "SOLDIER is just a job I think I would have loved to do, but you have been my best friend ever since we were young. Of course you are more important. I decided to put my life on hold for your wellbeing. I made that choice and my promise to you. You know I've never broken a promise to you, and this is not going to change just because my role model happens to visit our town."

"So I am just a burden to you." Cloud concluded despondedly, his breathing getting heavier as cold sweat started to break out, signifying the onset of a panic attack. And yet he continued to gasp between his breaths, "I'm stopping you from living your life. I'm making you do things you don't want to do. Someday you will be fed up with it and leave me, just like mom."

"No Cloud." Zack said with conviction in his voice, hoping to disperse his best friend's panic. He could try to reason with him, but knew that Cloud's troubled mind would probably refuse to listen. Still, he had to try. If only for the small glimmer of hope that one day Cloud would stop blaming himself and move forward, "You're a burden, yes, but one I'm willing to carry for as long as necessary. I promised you that and I will not go back on that. And your mother did not leave because of you. She was very ill when she died, and there was nothing that could save her."

But as expected this day was not the day that Zack could get through to him. If anything Zack's reasoning only caused to make matters worse, "You're going to leave me. Please Zack, don't leave me! I need you! I'm trying. I said goodbye to Tifa like you wanted me to do. Please, don't leave me! I'm trying!"

Cloud continued to repeat the same sentences over and over again like a mantra, and Zack knew that there was no more that he could say that would help the situation. Cloud's mind was deaf to his words of reassurance. All he could do was let the blonde's panic exhaust him. He would either calm down then or fall asleep. Zack sighed and decided it would be better to close up shop for the rest of the day so he could make sure Cloud would be all right. He managed to manoeuvre Cloud in such a way that he could close the shop properly and safely store away the day's earnings, before he led the way to the back where their living room was and set them both down on the couch.

They remained like that for a long time. Cloud continued to whimper his pleas for Zack not to leave him, to which Zack softly replied that he wasn't going anywhere. Eventually it started working. Cloud slowly fell silent and his breathing started to even out, indicating that he had fallen asleep. Zack let out a sigh of relief. He knew that Cloud wouldn't be getting an easy rest this time, but at least he now had a break until the nightmares would come.

The silence caused Zack's mind to roam. He had to admit that seeing the great General in the flesh had rekindled his dream of joining SOLDIER, but he had also immediately dismissed the idea because of Cloud. He wasn't lying when he said that Cloud was more important to him than SOLDIER, and that he was willing to carry the burden of taking care of him. Even though it became harder each and every day, he would continue to do so until the day he died, even if it meant giving up his dreams forever. His care for Cloud and his dream to become a SOLDIER just weren't compatible. He simply couldn't leave him alone, and the blonde was most likely not allowed in the training facility he would be in. It just couldn't work out.

On the other hand he knew that this situation was eventually going to destroy them both. He wasn't happy where he was now and got no satisfaction out of caring for Cloud since the blonde didn't seem to be healing in any way. Also, the thought of staying in Nibelheim running the item shop for the rest of his life wasn't exactly helping him cope with the situation. He hated the town and the job posed no challenge for him, which was something that he craved. There was simply nothing that he would miss if he left the town with Cloud in tow. Besides, the town wasn't doing Cloud any favours, and being in such a hostile environment probably wasn't helping him get over the traumas that plagued him and caused him to be so dependent on Zack. What if leaving the town was the right thing to do in the first place?

Zack had heard a lot of stories about Midgar, the big city that was considered to be the world's capital. It was a city of contrasts, with the rich living comfortable lives on top of the plate while the poor lived in the slums below. Zack had also heard it being referred to 'sin city', since gambling and prostitution were common occurrences, and for many a necessity for survival. The slums were full of weirdoes and misfits; of people who kicked against traditional views and fought for the acceptation of theirs. It had the highest concentration of Mako addicts; from people who used it to try and forget about their miserable lives to those who had failed to promote from ordinary infantryman to SOLDIER and sought to gain strength that way. But the Mako that was sold on the streets was often polluted and could likely cause Mako poisoning asides from addiction, and those afflicted with the terrible condition often didn't recover.

But asides from all the negative stories there were also other ones. Midgar was the biggest city in the entire world, but most importantly it held the seat of Shinra's power. With eight Mako reactors situated in such a small area it was the biggest supplier of Mako energy. If you had the privilege to live above the plate you could live a very comfortable life, and have access to a lot of facilities. Hospitals and schools were for the taking if you had the money to pay for it, and jobs generally weren't too hard to come by if you were healthy and educated. Also, since its creation the city had attracted people from all over the world it was a place where cultures mixed and other views were tolerated.

If Zack had to take Cloud somewhere, Midgar would probably be the best place. He could take the blonde through the mountains and to Rocket Town, a place that was said to have faced disaster in the past with a failed rocket launch, but was generally friendly to outsiders. But Mount Nibel was a treacherous place full of monsters and even the much feared green dragon, and he didn't want Cloud to be in such danger. They could also go the other way to a valley across the river where there was a place called Cosmo Canyon. It was a place where people gathered in search of knowledge. Mainly biological studies about the Planet. However, word was that the people, although friendly to those coming to study, were very hesitant about letting other people integrate into their tribal-like society. They could travel beyond Cosmo Canyon to a quiet place called Gongaga. The problem here however, was that Gongaga was the same sort of backwater town as Nibelheim was, and probably just as traditional. In short, they were bound to run away from one hateful town and right into the next one. And besides, Gongaga was pretty far away to travel by foot, which would be their means of travel, so going beyond that was unthinkable. Again Midgar seemed to be the best place to take the blonde even though their future there was uncertain. And with the arrival of the Shinra troops it shouldn't be too hard to hitch a ride there.

The problem was convincing Cloud. Zack knew for sure that Cloud would most likely get into a fit at the mere suggestion of leaving Nibelheim. It wasn't that Cloud felt any sort of attachment to this town himself, but his fears and anxieties would instantly jump to conclusions. As soon as Midgar would be mentioned Zack expected that Cloud would instantly think the older wanted to join the Shinra army and train to be in SOLDIER after all. Even though Zack would be leaving for Midgar with him, Cloud would still think he would be leaving him alone. After all, if Cloud couldn't see or at least hear his best friend he would panic, but even the thought of that happening could bring it on. Staying in Nibelheim and run the item shop was the safest solution for him. It was what he knew that worked out despite having to face the townspeople's distaste every single day. Zack sincerely doubted Cloud would want to take that step into the unknown, and feared for the consequences if he forced him. He was the only one left in the blonde's life that he trusted. If that trust was taken away…Zack didn't want to think about what would happen then.

0o0o0

**A/N: **Until next time! Leave a review on your way out please!

Oh, and Merry Christmas everyone, and have a smashing New Year too. Be safe with fireworks and all that jazz. You need your fingers to type reviews after all :P.


	3. Mistakes

**A/N: **Welcome to chapter 3 of Fractured Love!

I'm so sorry for not updating on Monday like usual. I had the chapter all done and ready to go, but my job took a lot of time that day. After that I simply forgot about it until I had already gone to bed yesterday. So yeah, my bad.

Without any further ado, I'll let you get to reading. Remember, I do not own FF7 or any of its characters, Zack and Cloud rock, and Sephiroth is the best antagonist ever created.

Enjoy!

0o0o0

**Mistakes**

It was a memory. Cloud knew that much while he was dreaming. A memory of a day he would never forget. The day that changed his life forever.

_Cloud was bouncing alongside his father, smiling as he excitedly chattered about everything that came to mind. Questions, so many questions were roaming through his young head, and he just couldn't stop asking them._

"_Does Mako really smell like rotten eggs daddy?"_

_His father laughed as he looked at his son with a warm expression on his face, "Now where did you get that from Cloud?"_

_Cloud stopped in his tracks and faced his father with a serious expression on his face, "Zack told me."_

"_And tell me Cloud, has Zack ever been near any Mako?"_

_The young blonde fell silent as he pondered about the question before replying, "No, I don't think so."_

"_Then how would he know what it smells like?"_

"_I don't know… But then, what does Mako smell like daddy?"_

"_Be patient Cloud. You'll see, or rather smell, soon enough." _

This part still had him sleeping peacefully as he relived this day through his dream. But he knew that it would at one point change. He desperately tried to cling to the image of his father's smiling face as they made their way to the reactor.

_The smell was overpowering. It was something akin to sweet flowers and something that wasn't quite like rotting eggs, but something that was close to it. He scrunched up his face and held his nose, blocking out the smell before he could gag and throw up his breakfast. His father laughed, saying that he would soon get used to the smell._

"_Stay close to me Cloud. It can be quite dangerous in here." Mister Strife's voice echoed as they walked through the reactor, "The room beyond this door is off-limits. No one is allowed in there except the scientists. I don't want you snooping around here."_

_Cloud nodded like a good boy. Everyone knew about the mysterious scientists residing in the old Shinra Mansion at the edge of town. They generally kept to themselves and only occasionally ventured up the mountain to work at the reactor. No one knew what they were doing in there. When asked they would always scowl and say that it was confidential and none of their business. It didn't make him any less curious about what was beyond that door, but he knew better than to press. He completely forgot about it though once they arrived at his father's workstation, and his dad showed him what he did for a living._

In truth it had been several hours before the next part, and Cloud fervently wished he could actually take that much time. But in his dream the scene quickly flashed forward.

"_What was that sound?"Mister Strife wondered after a rather loud bang._

"_It sounded like it came from that room at the end." Another worker replied._

_Cloud felt dread creep up in his stomach. The worker was referring to the room his father had pointed out to him earlier. The one that was off-limits, and of which no one knew what was in there. At some point during the day several scientists had passed them and gone in that direction, which had led to some of the other workers telling him stories about what they thought the scientists were doing in there. They had said that the room held some of Shinra's greatest secrets, and that it was being guarded by former reactor workers that had been in too much contact with Mako and were changed into monsters. The scientists had supposedly altered them to do their bidding._

_Though his father had waved it off as stories made up by workers to amuse themselves, Cloud's young imagination had taken the story to heart, and he was scared that a monster had somehow gotten out._

_One moment his father told him to stay put while he was going to check it out. The next he heard a terrified scream. Against all common sense the blonde ran towards where his father had gone off to, and there he witnessed something his mind would never be able to fully progress._

_A monster, strangely human-like in appearance, sat hunched over his father's form. Red blood was dripping from its razor-sharp teeth as he pulled away from mister Strife's throat. It hissed at the young boy in warning, but Cloud didn't register it. All he saw was his father, lying unmoving on the floor and covered in blood, the red colour a stark contrast with the man's white overalls._

"_Daddy! No!" Cloud screamed."_

"Cloud!" Zack tried to restrain the screaming blonde's flaying arms.

But Cloud remained locked it his nightmare, thinking that someone was dragging him away from his father's body, "No! Daddy! Let me go! It want to go to him! Daddy!"

"Cloud! Wake up!"

After a few more shakes and calls Cloud's eyes shot open. He slowly calmed down as they focussed on his best friend's face in front of him. Relief flooded through Zack and he hugged his best friend close.

"Daddy…" Cloud whispered softly and broke down into tears.

0o0o0

Zack groaned as he placed his head on top of his arms as he was leaning on the counter. He glanced to his side, where Cloud was perched at his usual spot. Dark circles were under his eyes, and the blonde would occasionally yawn widely. While trying but failing to suppress his own yawn Zack guessed he didn't look much better himself. It had been a troubling night for Cloud. The nightmare he'd had after he had fallen asleep from his panic attack had left his mark on him. It had taken him a long while to calm down, and then he had refused to go to sleep again, afraid the nightmare of his father's death would return.

Zack didn't know the details of what had happened that day. He just remembered how the group of workers along with a few scientists and their guards came down from the mountain that day. One of the guards had the young boy slung over his shoulder while he kept screaming and crying for his father. Among his franticly yelled words was something about a monster eating him, but the poor boy was in too much shock to make much sense. The scientists told them that an accident had happened resulting in mister Strife's unfortunate death. Upon questioning them about the monster Cloud was screaming about they had waved it off as the boy's overactive imagination mixed with the stories he had heard and the shock he was experiencing.

It sounded plausible enough for the rest of the town, and even though Cloud had kept on insisting that his father had been killed by a monster they never believed him. He eventually stopped trying and had never really spoken about it ever since, not even to Zack. It was simply too painful and too hard for the blonde to even mention it.

But that was part of the problem. Because Cloud never talked about it, even to someone like Zack, who believed him, he never processed the traumatizing experience. It led to him having frequent nightmares of that day, especially if he hadn't fallen asleep peacefully like last night.

Cloud's fear had only been able to keep him up for so long however, and eventually his exhaustion got the better of him. When Cloud had finally fallen asleep again Zack had hoped that he could finally get some rest himself, but just after he had fallen asleep he was jolted awake by another one of Cloud's nightmares. This continued on throughout the night, leaving little rest for the both of them. It made Zack worry for his best friend. Cloud really hadn't gotten over his father's death if the nightmares were any indication. His best friend wasn't getting any closer to getting better. He needed help. That much was for sure.

This led him to think back on his earlier thoughts. He knew that there would be no more hope of Cloud getting better if they stayed in Nibelheim. He had to take Cloud somewhere else. That much was sure. But could he persuade the blonde in going somewhere else with him?

"What do you say about moving to Midgar Cloud?"

Zack was shocked at himself. He hadn't meant to speak out loud as he was pondering the issue, but for some reason the question had passed his lips. He dreaded the answer, and indeed Cloud's head shot up, a look of shock on his face.

"No!"

Zack flinched with the intensity of Cloud's exclamation, fearing what the simple question had meant to the blonde's paranoid mind.

"Zack you promised you wouldn't leave me! You said you weren't going to be in SOLDIER!"

"Whoa, Cloud. Calm down please." Zack tried to shush him, holding up his hands in defence, "You misunderstand. I'm not going to leave you. I was talking about the both of us going to Midgar. Maybe we could get a better life there." 'And some help for you.' Zack added mentally, afraid to voice it out loud.

Cloud shook his head vigorously, "No, no, no! You want to join SOLDIER. You're going to leave me all alone while you know I can't bear that."

"Cloud please. Think about this rationally." Zack took a deep breath in an effort to prepare himself for what was really on his mind, "I've taken care of you ever since your mother died, hoping that one day you would get over all the bad stuff that happened to you. But I fear that staying here isn't going to change anything Cloud. You need help, and this town is not going to offer it to us." He paused briefly before he added, "Please, I want you back Spiky."

It had been a long time since Zack had called his best friend that. The use of this nickname seemed to trigger something in his spiky-haired friend, and for a brief moment Zack believed that he had actually gotten through to him, but his hopes were soon crushed when Cloud's breathing turned heavy and irregular. That's when Zack knew that Cloud was going into another panic attack, and he instantly regretted bringing the matter up in the first place.

"No, no, no." Cloud denied as he gasped between breaths, "We're fine here. You'll leave me if we go to Midgar. I don't want to go Zack, please! Don't leave me. Don't leave me. Don't leave me…"

Zack knew that Cloud couldn't think rationally at this point. Not that he really could ever since he had truly broken down after his mother's death. He had lost so much and under such horrible circumstances that his fear of losing Zack dominated his mind. Anything that could even remotely mean that Zack and Cloud would be separated blocked the traumatised young man. Even now all he could do was breathe heavily while rocking back and forth repeating the same phrase over and over again like a mantra, begging for Zack not to leave him. At this point Zack had dropped the subject, and poured in al his efforts to calm Cloud down.

0o0o0

Zack eventually decided to close the shop early. It wasn't busy anyway with the reactor workers not having to work while Sephiroth was conducting his investigation. But the main reason was Cloud. Every time the blonde seemed to have calmed down enough something would trigger him into another fit. The raven-haired young man concluded that this was partly due to Cloud's exhaustion. Jumping to the conclusion that Zack was going to leave him was like a reflex, and thus easy to use when his exhausted mind was unable to really think about what was actually being said. Perhaps he might have better luck once the blonde was better rested.

Getting him to rest proved to be challenging again. Not much had changed in Cloud's disposition from last night. If anything the struggles during the day had only made it worse. Even though he had nearly fallen asleep over their dinner, he still stubbornly refused to go to bed early. Even when Zack had gone to their bedroom and Cloud had followed him like he always did, the blonde still refused to lie down and sleep.

"Cloud, why are you being so difficult? I'm tired too, so I'll be right here like always." Zack said with an exasperated sigh, wondering when he would finally get through to his best friend.

"I'm not going to sleep while the General is here. I don't want to risk you going away with him."

"I'm not going anywhere Cloud. Please get that through your thick head. If I'm going somewhere I'm taking you with me. You're being stubborn for nothing. And besides, Sephiroth is going to stay here for a few days. You can't stay awake all that time."

"I can try." Cloud crossed his arms and stuck out his chin.

"Fine then." Zack grumbled, pulling the sheets over himself and turning his back to his friend, "Suit yourself."

Cloud remained still for a moment, not leaving his place next to the bed nor saying anything. He simply stood there looking at his best friend's back, arms crossed as he tried to ignore his mind, urging him to join Zack. But it was hard. Too hard. He was tired, exhausted even. He wanted to sleep, he had to admit that much to himself. But he was afraid. Afraid of the nightmares, and afraid that despite Zack's continuous reassurance that he was not going to leave him he was going to be fed up with taking care of him at some point. And now that Sephiroth was in town Cloud just couldn't help but feel that something bad was going to happen.

He needed Zack. That much was for sure. He did believe his best friend when he said that he would take Cloud with him to Midgar, but feared that the city would cause them to grow apart. Being in the heart of Shinra would only increase Zack's yearning to be in SOLDIER. Of that he was convinced. The risks were simply too great for Cloud to take. He knew their life wasn't ideal the way it was, but it worked out. He could stay close to Zack, and that's what mattered the most to him.

Cloud uncrossed his arms and walked around the bed so he was facing Zack, who wasn't acknowledging him though Cloud knew for sure wasn't asleep yet. He took a moment to study his face. The face of the person he had always looked up to. The face of the person who had given him so much. Not just friendship, but so much more. He needed to show him. Show him how much he needed him. Then maybe he would forget all about going to Midgar.

"Zack." Cloud whispered softly, receiving the acknowledging grunt he knew so well.

But before Cloud continued he gently climbed on top of Zack, who opened his eyes to see what his best friend was doing. He turned to his back while Cloud tried to make himself comfortable on his chest, his arms slipping around his raven-haired friend's neck.

"I'll go to sleep if you can prove to me you're not going to leave me."

0o0o0

Zack sighed deeply as he looked at Cloud's sleeping form. He had fallen asleep almost immediately after Zack had done the only thing he knew to do to prove to his best friend that he wasn't going the leave him. He had once again given the blonde that physical touch that he craved. The familiar emotions of disgust and shame were still there, but at the same time there was relief. Complying meant that Cloud would go to sleep and have a good chance for a peaceful night. All the stress of the past twenty-four hours would be behind them, and perhaps Cloud would wake up with a mind clear enough to reconsider Zack's proposal of going to Midgar. After all, the blonde wanted his raven-haired friend to prove to him that he wasn't going to leave him. Perhaps now that he had proven it Cloud would have more confidence in going away.

Just before Zack could settle down next to Cloud to get some sleep himself he heard a knock on the door below. He frowned, wondering who would be visiting him. It was still quite early in the evening, a couple of hours from when most people would go to bed, but they rarely got any visitors to begin with.

Looking back at Cloud Zack decided to ignore the knock and go to sleep. Whoever was out there would just have to wait until morning. But the knocking didn't stop. He could also hear someone calling out his name. It sounded like Tifa. He groaned and contemplated his position. The insistent knocking made him unable to fall asleep, but answering the door would mean waking up Cloud if he wanted to avoid any trouble. He really didn't want to do that now that his best friend was finally sleeping peacefully. Then again, it wouldn't take him that much time to quickly go downstairs and tell Tifa to come back tomorrow. He would be back within a minute. Surely he could risk leaving the blonde's side for such a brief moment.

Deciding that this would be the best option Zack gently slipped out of bed, and made his way softly out of the bedroom. He briefly looked back, but seeing no change in Cloud he quickly made his way to their front door, where Tifa was still knocking.

"Tifa, I'm trying to sleep. Could you please come back tomorrow?" He said immediately upon opening the door.

"I'm sorry Zack, but I really need to talk to you." Tifa answered. She then looked past him, fully expecting to see Cloud lurking in the hallway and surprised to see that he wasn't, "Where's Cloud?"

"Upstairs asleep like I also want to do. Whatever you have to say can wait 'till tomorrow."

Zack didn't want to be so brusque with Tifa, but he was still worried that Cloud would wake up in his absence. He tried to close the door, but his actions were stopped when the brunette grabbed the edge in order to prevent him from closing it.

"Wait Zack!"

Zack cringed and glanced worriedly at the staircase, fearing that Tifa's outburst had reached Cloud's ears. He let out a sigh of relief when all remained quiet upstairs. The look didn't go past Tifa. Though she was unaware of the full extent of Zack's relationship with his best friend she knew that Cloud was always within eyesight of Zack. She could tell that the raven-haired young man was uncomfortable not being by his side, but she had been hoping to talk to him in private.

"This actually gives me the perfect opportunity to talk to you . Please, it's about Cloud as well."

The urgency in her voice caught Zack's attention as much as the fact that she wanted to talk about Cloud did. He quickly ran over everything in his mind. Cloud had been very tired and was now sleeping peacefully. He hadn't even responded when Zack had left his side just now. There was a good chance that the blonde would sleep until morning, leaving Zack to talk to Tifa and rejoin him before his absence could cause any trouble.

Making a dicision, Zack let go of the door to allow Tifa to come in. He tiredly led the way to the living room, where he slumped down onto the couch while rubbing his face.

"You look tired Zack. Are you all right?"

Tifa had asked the question with so much concern in her voice that it made Zack feel warm inside. For once the focus was on him instead of his best friend, and in his exhausted state he was tempted to speak to her about his troubles. He wanted to so badly to share all his hardship with someone he trusted, but knew that he simply couldn't do that without going into details about what he did to make Cloud's life and his own bearable, even if it was only barely. He would lose whatever trust he had from her and risk being chased out of town or worse.

No, it was better to keep his secrets to himself.

"It's just that I didn't get much sleep last night Tifa. I'll be all right."

"It's because of Cloud, isn't it?" Before she had even finished speaking the words Zack's head snapped up. He was immediately worried that the girl knew more than he wanted her to know. Tifa recoiled a bit at the look he was giving her, not understanding its fierceness, "I mean, it must be hard taking care of him all the time."

Zack's features softened, satisfied that Tifa hadn't meant anything with her statement other than simple empathetic concern. He mentally slapped himself for having such paranoid thoughts. Hopefully it was just his exhaustion speaking rather than Cloud rubbing off on him.

"It is." He sighed and lowered his head again, "He's still got nightmares sometimes and can't sleep."

Tifa nodded in sympathy, feeling for the tired young man in front of her yet at the same time admiring his strength to cope with the situation. She didn't know whether she would have been able to do the same if it had been her in Zack's position.

"That's why I've been wanting to talk to you." She admitted softly, "He's not getting any better, is he?"

Zack shook his head in defeat, "No, and I don't know what to do anymore."

"I might have an idea."

Again Zack's head shot up, but this time his gaze was filled with hope, urging the brunette to keep on talking.

"My dad, he was chosen to guide the General and his men to the reactor for their inspection. He's been talking about you and your dream of getting into SOLDIER. Apparently he's made a good impression for you, because the General said he was interested in potential talents, and that you could hitch a ride to Midgar should you prove worthy."

Conflicting emotions welled up in Zack. On one end he was happy that the great General Sephiroth of all people was interested in him as a potential candidate for SOLDIER. The thought of achieving his dream made his chest swell with pride. But his thoughts quickly returned to the sleeping young man upstairs, and how it was impossible for Zack to join the programme without leaving his side. Perhaps the recommendation would prove to be more trouble than it was worth.

"I can't Tifa. Gods I want to, but I can't leave Cloud's side. You know that."

"Well staying here is not doing the both of you any good." Tifa said heatedly, getting slightly annoyed with the young man's defeated attitude, "And did you forget about our promise Zack?"

"Promise?" Zack questioned, not immediately recalling what she was referring to.

"I can't believe you forgot that. It was right before…before…" 'Right before Cloud's father died' she added mentally, though unable to speak the words out loud.

But Zack had caught on what she was trying to say, instantly remembering that time on top of the water tower when they promised they would make their dreams come true. The memory made him angry, knowing that the events of the day after they made the promise would make it unable for both him and his best friend to live up to it.

"And what about you Tifa?" He countered, making Tifa look away in shame, "I don't see you open up a bar any time soon, so you've got no right to berate me for not following my dream to be in SOLDIER."

"That's different Zack." She said softly, still not looking at him, "When we made that promise I knew I was never going to be able to keep it."

"Then you're even worse than I am Tifa. I set my dream aside in order to help a friend in need. If fate hadn't turned out to be a bitch for Cloud then I would have kept my promise. But I can't leave his side now, can I? What kind of best friend would I be if I let my dreams be more important than his welfare?"

"And what if you sheltering him is actually preventing him from getting better? Have you ever thought about that Zack?" Tifa argued back, a sob escaping her throat, "You're not the only one who cares about him. I want him to become well again too you know. But whatever you're doing clearly isn't helping."

"I'm doing the best I can! How is me going to Midgar and joining SOLDIER going to help him? It'll destroy him Tifa!"

Without them noticing the volume of their argument had risen considerably. The sound reached the far corners of Zack's house, and slowly caused Cloud to wake from his slumber. Before he even realized that he had awoken because of Zack and Tifa argument downstairs his mind instantly registered that his best friend was not at his side.

"Zack? Zack!"

He bolting upright in his bed and frantically looked around the room in an attempt to find him. When he didn't his mind shut down completely. He started screaming, yelling Zack's name over and over again.

Downstairs Zack and Tifa were startled when Cloud's screams reached their ears. Tifa was shocked at the intensity of it, having never witnessed Cloud sound that panicked. Zack immediately felt guilty. He knew he shouldn't have left his best friend's side. It would take a long time for him to fix this error. He hoped that he hadn't screwed up too much that Cloud would no longer trust him and demand more physical confirmation of his presence as a result.

"I need to go Tifa. Please let yourself out." He said as he hastily made his way up the stairs.

Tifa briefly thought that she should follow him, but then realized that she had no idea what to do if she did. Perhaps Zack was right. No matter how much Tifa wished it to be otherwise she now realized that Cloud's condition was much worse than she'd thought. She knew Cloud depended on Zack, that he was afraid that his best friend would leave him, but didn't know the full extent of the issue. It didn't mean that she wasn't convinced her idea wasn't the right thing to do. If anything it only confirmed to her that the blonde needed help. Help he couldn't get here if he stayed with Zack in Nibelheim. Not that she thought she could take care of Cloud in his condition, but there had to be something she could do.

With those thoughts in her mind she did as Zack asked of her. With the sounds of Cloud's frantic screams and Zack calming words still reverberating through the house, she left.

0o0o0

**A/N: **Gosh this chapter was so intense to write. Lot's of angsty stuff going on. You got to know more about Cloud's father's death and Zack tried to bring up the subject of Midgar. Too bad he failed miserably. And now Tifa is butting in as well. How will her words affect Zack? And how will him leaving Cloud for a little while affect Cloud?

Until next time! Leave a review on your way out please!


	4. Persuasion

**A/N: **Welcome to chapter 4 of Fractured Love!

I've decided to move my update day to Sunday. It's the day I usually reserve for writing, so I'll be less likely to forget to update than Monday. So from now on expect a new chapter every two weeks on Sunday.

Without any further ado, I'll let you get to reading. Remember, I do not own FF7 or any of its characters, Zack and Cloud rock, and Sephiroth is the best antagonist ever created.

Enjoy!

0o0o0

**Persuasion**

"Cloud, calm down. I'm right here." Zack called out to the blonde as he walked towards the bedroom.

Cloud was still screaming and crying, curling himself up into a tight ball after confirming that Zack really wasn't there in the room with him. When he heard his best friend's voice though, his head snapped up, and he fell silent for a moment. He was briefly afraid that his mind had been playing tricks on him in hearing Zack's voice, but he felt a huge wave of relief when the raven-haired young man walked through the doorway of their bedroom.

Before Zack could say or do anything his blonde friend crashed into his arms, holding on to him for dear life.

"Zack! Why did you leave me? I couldn't see you. I couldn't hear you. I didn't know where you were. Zack why? Why?"

"Shhshh, calm down Cloud please. I was only downstairs for a little bit. I wasn't far away at all."

"You know even that's too much. Why didn't you wake me up Zack? You know I freak out if I don't know where you are."

"I didn't think I would be away for long, and that I would be back before you woke up."

Cloud lifted his head from where he'd buried it in Zack's shirt. The glare he shot his best friend made Zack swallow at its intensity, "How can I trust you now?" Cloud accused, "How can I go to sleep knowing you go off somewhere and leave me alone?"

Zack felt guilty at the accusation. Yes indeed, how could Cloud trust him to stay with him while he was asleep? He knew full well that it was a great risk that he shouldn't have taken. He had been a fool to give in to Tifa's knocking, and should either have kept ignorant of her calls or woken up Cloud to go with him.

But at the same time he felt that familiar feeling of being tired of this entire situation. He couldn't even be simply downstairs for a few minutes without causing his best friend to panic. For a moment Zack thought how it had come down to this. Cloud couldn't even get up and search around the house before freaking out. He knew that their situation was really bad , but for the most time he could push that thought away and practically deny its severity.

"_And what if you sheltering him is actually preventing him from getting better? Have you ever thought about that Zack?"_

The meaning of Tifa's words hit him like a ton of bricks crashing down on him. Everything that had happened after he'd decided to take care of Cloud when his mother had died flashed through his mind.

"_Hey, are you all right?" Zack asked with concern of his crying best friend, who was standing over his mother's grave just after the funeral had ended._

_Cloud shook his head as he sniffled, "Mom and dad both left me. I'm all alone."_

"_That's not true Spikey. I'm still here." Zack reassured him as he put an arm around the blonde's shoulders in comfort._

_Cloud in return wrapped his arms around his raven-haired friend's waist, "Please don't leave me Zack. I need you."_

"_Of course Cloud. You can count on me."_

…

"_You're so quiet Cloud. Are you all right?" Zack asked as they walked through Nibelheim on their way home from the grocery store._

_Cloud, who'd been silently trailing after his best friend while looking at his feet, shrugged, "I just don't feel like talking to these people."_

"_Hmph, I can't blame you. Did you see how that guy from the store was looking at you as if you have some kind of disease? Ugh, it disgusts me. If you ask me they are not even worth talking to."_

…

"_Zack." Cloud called out softly while shaking the other's sleeping form._

_The raven-haired young man grumbled a bit as he slowly woke up. He opened his eyes a bit, able to make out Cloud looking at him in desperation despite the darkness, "What is it Cloud?" He asked with his voice still thick of sleep._

"_Can I sleep in your bed?"_

"_Nightmare again?"_

_Cloud nodded, choking back a sob. Zack scooted over to make room and lifted the covers in a silent invitation. The blonde took it without hesitation._

"_Thank you Zack."_

"_It's all right. You're safe with me. I'll take care of you."_

…

"_You've been awfully stalkerish today." Zack commented to his best friend, who hadn't let him out of his sight the entire day._

_Cloud looked away and shrugged, "I just feel more at ease if I can see that you're here."_

_Zack smiled, "It's okay Cloud. I don't mind having you near me."_

…

"_Zack please." Cloud pleaded as he clung to him in the bed, " I can't bear the hurt anymore. Make me forget."_

"_What do you mean Cloud? How can I make you forget?"_

_The blonde looked at him with a meaningful expression, "You're the only one who can make me feel good Zack."_

_Zack frowned at him, studying his face as if that held the answer to what he wanted._

"_Touch me…" Cloud whispered._

_Zack's eyes grew wide, "You want me to…do…down there?"_

"_Yes Zack. I just want to forget. Please, it hurts so much. Please…please…"_

_Hearing the desperation in his friend's voice ripped his own heart apart. Instead of denying the hysterical boy he reached out with a shaking hand, and touched him intimately for the first time._

Cloud had gone from bad to worse in the span of a single year, and Zack wondered whether Tifa was right. The raven-haired young man had been constantly telling the blonde that he would take care of him, and that everything was all right. He'd allowed him to join him in his bed whenever he had a nightmare, which eventually turned out in them sharing a bed all the time. He'd then allowed him to stay near to him at all times, even going as far as making sure that Cloud could be. He'd even started to be sexual with him in order to make him feel better. Every single time he'd given in, which had led him to the situation he was in right now.

Was it his fault that Cloud wasn't getting better?

"I'm sorry." Zack breathed out, choking back a sob as he hugged Cloud close, "I'm sorry I didn't do any better."

But the true meaning of Zack's words went unnoticed by Cloud.

0o0o0

After both young men had finally calmed down they found themselves back into the living room. Despite the fact that both were still tired and Zack had apologized profusely, they had found themselves unable to sleep. Cloud found sleep eluding him out of fear that Zack would leave him alone again, while Zack's consciousness kept gnawing at Tifa's words.

Their thoughts were interrupted when there was a knock on the door for the second time that evening. Zack actually didn't feel like seeing anyone, but considering he didn't have to face the same dilemma as before he got up to tell whoever was on standing outside to buzz off. As usual Cloud trailed after him, keeping his best friend in sight, while also sticking to the shadows so he wouldn't draw any unwanted attention to himself.

"General Sephiroth." Zack gasped as he opened the door, his eyes wide as his hero stood in front of him.

"No." Cloud squeaked, not noticing nor caring that he drew the General's attention to him, "Zack no. You said you weren't going to join SOLDIER. You promised! Please Zack! I'll try to do better, just don't leave me Zack, please! I'll-" But his rain of words suddenly stopped.

For a moment Zack was blinded by a flash of green light. As it dissipated he noticed that his best friend was slumping lifelessly to the ground. With a startled gasp he reached out to catch him.

"Cloud!" He called out, looking worriedly over his friend's slumped form. He snapped his head around to glare at the General, "What did you do to him?" He demanded to know.

"Do not worry, I have merely cast Sleepel on him. He will awaken in a couple of hours." Sephiroth announced calmly while putting the glowing green materia orb back in the pocket of his coat.

"Why did you do that?"

"He was obviously reacting strongly to my presence, and would have prohibited me from talking to you. I judged this to be the best solution to this problem."

Zack fell silent at Sephiroth matter-of-fact like tone, seeing no real fault in the man's logic despite his sudden and swift action. He instead turned his attention back to Cloud in order to see whether the General was speaking the truth. Cloud was breathing normally as he lay in his best friend's arms, putting the latter's mind at ease.

"Now I've heard some stories about you Zachary Fair, and I wish to talk to you. Can I come in?"

Zack nodded, knowing what this was about thanks to Tifa earlier, and knowing he couldn't deny the head of the Shinra army access to his house. With Cloud sleeping peacefully he might as well hear what the man had to say.

"Please, follow me." He said as he picked up Cloud to carry him to the living room, leaving Sephiroth to close the door behind him and follow him.

Zack sat down on the couch, placing Cloud comfortably next to him with the blonde's head in his lap. This way there wouldn't be any problem should he wake up. Sephiroth took a seat in the single chair opposite of his host, crossing both his long, slender legs as his broad, powerful arms, his long silver hair fanning out across his back and shoulders, looking every bit the intimidating General that he was.

He briefly looked around the room, noticing how there was a sword hanging on the wall above the couch the young men were on. The hilt was wrapped in sturdy leather, which he could tell was made from Valron skin, which was typical for Nibelheim weapons, since the monster only lived in this area. The blade was short, fit for someone with little strength, and had a slight curve. It had been polished to shine, but with his Mako-enhanced eyes he could tell that there were small scratched and nicks that indicated that it had been used at some point.

"Impressive looking sword you've got there." Sephiroth said while he nodded to the blade.

"Oh." Zack spoke up as he looked at the object over his shoulder with a smile, "My father made that one for me when I was young. He claimed to have killed the Valron himself."

"Have you ever used it?"

"Not often. Dad trained me in swordsmanship with it, but I haven't had much opportunity to use it after that." Zack turned his attention back to the General and adopted a serious expression, "But with all due respect sir, I think you did not come here to talk about swords."

"Indeed I did not." Sephiroth agreed as he adopted a businesslike air and professional demeanour, "I've heard that you wish to join the SOLDIER programme. Though my mission here is to investigate the reactor, Shinra is always scouting for potential talent. From the stories that I've heard you might be just what we're looking for, which is the reason why I'm here."

Zack frowned, "What kind of stories?"

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow in question, wondering whether the man had possibly been lying to him about this young man if the latter had to ask about what he had been told, "I was told that you have cherished this wish ever since you were a young boy after managing to kill a wandering Nibel wolf that had gotten too close to this village, which is a rather impressive feat."

"Oh, that story." Zack mumbled while he shook his head, "To be honest sir the wolf was already injured when I found him. Though he tried to put up a fight, it really wasn't that hard to kill it." He looked back up to the sword, "Actually, I used that sword to kill it."

"There is no need to be modest Zachary. Whether the beast was injured or not, the fact that you were still young shows how brave and protective you are. You acted without hesitation and dealt with the threat without fear, which are good qualities for a member of SOLDIER to possess."

"When you put it like that, I guess I did." Zack chuckled briefly, feeling flattered by the praise.

"But that's not all I've heard Zachary. Though the man was reluctant to part with the information, he's also told me that you're caring for 'the village freak' as he put it."

Zack felt his anger rise, and he instinctively held Cloud closer to him, "Cloud is _not_ a freak. If you've come here to insult him than you can leave right now. "

Sephiroth didn't immediately respond, instead he quirked an eyebrow in interest as he glanced at the sleeping blonde in the young man's arms. Though he had deduced that the frantic boy was the so-called 'village freak' his suspicions were now confirmed. But he was also interested in Zack's reaction. It clearly showed his protective nature that the General had been told about. He could now personally witness that they were no lies.

"I'm not here to do anything of the sort." He eventually responded, "I'm merely relaying what I've heard. Though from what I've just witnessed the boy is clearly very attached to you and reluctant to see you leave. Is he the reason why you haven't joined the programme yet?"

Zack calmed down and lowered his gaze to Cloud's sleeping form, gently brushing the bangs from his peaceful face, "I can't leave him." He whispered, "I really want to join SOLDIER, and I'm flattered that you think that I'm worthy, but I just can't leave Cloud behind."

"What is wrong with him?"

Zack's head shot up and he frowned in confusion, tilting his head a little to the side as he regarded the General, "Why do you want to know?" He asked carefully.

Sephiroth let out a small sigh and shook his head, "I really judge you to be a good candidate for SOLDIER Zachary, and Shinra takes care of its own. Perhaps if I know what's wrong with him I can make the necessary arrangements to get him the help he needs."

Zack's eyes grew wide and he leaned a little bit closer, "Would you do that?" He asked in disbelief.

The General nodded firmly, "Midgar has a lot of good facilities for those who need help, whether it's physical or mental. You can rest assured that your friend can get the help he needs. It's all part of Shinra's intention to help their people."

"That…would be wonderful." Zack smiled and turned his attention back to Cloud, who was still sleeping peacefully with his head in Zack's lap. He was right about Midgar after all. It was the perfect place to take Cloud to, and he would even be able to join SOLDIER after all.

"Now, will you tell me about his condition?"

Zack nodded, "Six years ago, when Cloud was ten, his father took him along to the reactor for the day to show him his work. There he witnessed his father's death. It traumatized him, especially because the people wouldn't believe him about how his father died."

"I've read the reports of that incident." The General interrupted, "They say that a reactor worker tripped during his work and fell into the Mako."

"That's not what Cloud said." Zack protested with a shake of his head, "According to him there was a monster inside the reactor that killed his father."

Sephiroth muscles tensed slightly, though he managed to hide it from the young man in front of him, "And how did the people of this town react to that?" He asked carefully.

Zack sighed sadly and turned his attention back to Cloud, "They didn't believe him. They've always considered Cloud to be a weakling and said that he'd just made it up. Some of the workers had been telling him stories about monsters being held in the reactor."

Sephiroth resisted the urge to scowl. The story reminded him of his current mission, and he made a mental note to talk to some people after he was done here.

"Anyway." Zack continued, oblivious to the General's musings but drawing his attention back to him nonetheless, "That's when Cloud started to become withdrawn. He didn't talk much except to people he trusted, and hardly smiled anymore. It wasn't too bad until his mother got seriously ill about a year later. After battling it for four years she died about a year ago. He had a hard time dealing with it, so I decided to help him get back on his feet. However, since I'm the only one left in his life he's developed an extreme fear of losing me. He always needs to know where I am, whether he can see or hear me. He's unable to bear not being near me, and panics whenever he thinks I'm going to leave him."

Sephiroth continued to study the young man in front of him as he spoke, seeing how much he cared for the blonde boy next to him and admiring his dedication to him. He knew he had to convince him to come with him. With the information Zack had provided him in their conversation he was convinced that the raven-haired young man would make a good SOLDIER, but if he wanted to harbour that talent he needed to act quickly. Without realizing it Zack had also provided him with some valuable information with regards to his current mission, and it would require him to take action soon. Whether or not Shinra would gain another talented SOLDIER would be strongly influenced by whether or not he could convince the raven-haired young man to join the programme before he had to take it.

"I can understand you situation Zachary, and I admire you for your dedication towards your friend. I am certain that he could get the right treatment in Midgar ."

Zack's face lit up with hopeful expectation as he looked at the General. If it was true that he could actually see Cloud getting better …no words could describe what he was feeling right now.

"However." Sephiroth continued, making Zack's hopes dash slightly, "I am not a transportation service to Midgar. I will only offer you a ride under the condition that you will join the SOLDIER programme."

Zack didn't know how to feel. He was being offered a chance to follow his dream, which was amazing, but at the same time he worried that simply getting Cloud to Midgar and getting him help wouldn't be enough, at least not at first. Convincing Cloud to actually go to Midgar would be challenging enough, but if this was going to work he couldn't simply leave him right away.

"I can see that you still have doubts Zachary."

"Sir." Zack spoke up, looking the General straight into the eye, "I really appreciate your offer, and as much as I would like to jump up to this opportunity, I will need to discuss this with Cloud."

"I understand." Sephiroth nodded as he stood up, "I will finish my mission here tomorrow, and will expect your answer by the time I return."

"All right."

"Very well then. I shall take my leave."

Without even waiting to see whether Zack was going to get up to let him out, Sephiroth simply walked to the door and let himself out, leaving Zack to wonder once again how he was going to convince Cloud once he woke up.

0o0o0

"You wished to see me General?" A man in a white lab coat said as he entered the room.

Right after Sephiroth had left Zack's house he had immediately set off towards the Shinra mansion to have a talk with the scientists residing there. He was currently seated behind a desk in the library, glaring at the man joining him.

"You have been falsifying reports professor Itsuwaru."

Itsuwaru narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean exactly, sir?"

"Allow me to refresh your memory." Sephiroth said as he picked up a report from the desk and held it out to the other man, "Six years ago you reported an accident happening in the reactor where a worker tripped and fell into the Mako."

The professor nervously took the offered piece of paper and read it over while he pushed his glasses further up his nose, "Ah yes. The man was careless and fell over the railing." He commented before he looked back at the General and continued, "Our research wasn't jeopardized, so no further actions were taken."

"Don't play me for a fool Itsuwaru. I've been to the reactor and there's no way someone could fall over the railing if he simply tripped."

Itsuwaru looked like he wanted to protest, but Sephiroth's intense gaze kept him from even opening his mouth.

"But that's not the point." Sephiroth continued, "You claim that your research wasn't jeopardized, but what about the boy who witnessed the attack of one of the Makonoids on his father?"

The man was sweating now, again pushing his glasses up his nose until the General thought the lenses would touch his eyeballs, "I don't know what you mean."

"Don't be stupid Itsuwaru. You know exactly what I mean." Sephiroth growled menacingly.

"All right." The professor squeaked, "Yes there was a young boy who had witnessed the attack, but the townspeople didn't believe him. They took our explanation and left it at that."

"That's no excuse to falsify your official report Itsuwaru. But more importantly, six years ago a Makonoid escaped and killed someone while on your watch. Right now I am here because of some conflicting reports regarding the research, and I find myself having to subdue a Makonoid myself. Gaia only knows how many more have caused trouble. Clearly your incompetence is putting everybody here at risk. Professor Hojo will not be pleased when he reads my report."

"Please sir. I am on the verge of a breakthrough. If I can just find the correct balance between Mako and Jenova cells, then I can turn these Makonoids into useful weapons for Shinra."

"You will do nothing of the sort." Sephiroth snapped, making Itsuwaru cower on the spot, "Your position and your research have been jeopardized. The townspeople may be unaware of it yet, but I can tell that they're suspicious. There are rumours and stories whenever you actually stop to listen. We cannot risk letting the truth of this project be known to them."

"You don't mean-"

"Yes I do Itsuwaru." Sephiroth got up and walked around the desk to stand in front of the cowering scientist, crossing his arms as he towered over the small man, "Tomorrow I will destroy all the evidence at the reactor. I expect you to take care of the rest."

"R-right."

Sephiroth reached into the pocket of his coat and took out a green materia orb. He gave it to the scared scientist, "Use this and do not fail me Itsuwaru. Let this be your redeeming act and perhaps Hojo will not turn you into a Makonoid yourself."

Without another word the General walked passed him and left. Now that the man was gone the scientist felt slightly calmer, but he couldn't help but dread what he had to do. He could feel the power radiate from the materia orb as he held it close to his chest. It was obviously a mastered one, so there was no chance that the General could mean something other than a complete wipe-out. There were no two ways about it. Either he had to do as the man had ordered him, and save himself, or disregard it, and be used as an experiment himself. Either option was horrible to think about, but if he had to chose something, he would chose to save himself.

0o0o0

**A/N: **So, you now know some more of how Cloud's need for Zack has progressed over the past year. Poor guy is really doubting himself now. But perhaps Sephiroth has just offered him a way out. Will he take it is the question.

Just a few words about Sephiroth. I know people like to portray him as being emotionless and socially awkward, or plain FF7 Nibelheim incident cruel. In this story I don't plan on Sephiroth being the bad guy. He's the intimidating General of Shinra who needs to make tough decisions in order to preserve the company. He's not going to be nice, but he's not going to be totally indifferent either. I feel that this fits his original character before he turned mad quite well.

Oh yeah, and about the last scene, I don't think it's too hard to figure out what Seph was referring to. It was actually unplanned, but when it came to mind it just fit. It's even going to make something later in the story stronger. But I'm not going to spoil ;).

Itsuwaru was purely created for plot convenience. I normally try to use canon characters to fit each role, but I needed a scientist and felt that Gast or Hollander just wouldn't do. He won't be too important a character and will disappear after a few chapters, so don't worry too much if you don't like OCs.

Until next time! Leave a review on your way out please!


	5. Making Headway

**A/N: **Welcome to chapter 5 of Fractured Love!

Thank to all the people who've left their words of encouragement. They really motivate me to continue writing this story, and some even provide a great source of inspiration. I'm growing to love it even more as I'm writing more. Sometimes I hit a snag, but I always find my way around it eventually. Thanks to all of you! So please continue what you are doing.

Without any further ado, I'll let you get to reading. Remember, I do not own FF7 or any of its characters, Zack and Cloud rock, and Sephiroth is the best antagonist ever created.

Enjoy!

0o0o0

**Making headway**

For the second night in a row Zack got little sleep. This time it wasn't because of Cloud, at least not directly. The blonde had been sleeping peacefully ever since Sephitoth had cast Sleepel on him. Even though Zack wasn't an expert on materia, he knew that the spell should have worn off not long after the General had left their house. The fact that Cloud remained asleep only showed how tired he really was before that.

The reason why sleep eluded Zack that night was because he couldn't get everything that had happened that day out of his head. How his sudden suggestion about going to Midgar had gotten Cloud into a fit, how Tifa had made him doubt his care for his best friend, how his decision of leaving Cloud alone had only made matters worse, and how General Sephiroth had offered him the two things he wanted the most: Cloud's recovery, and him joining SOLDIER. There was simply too much to process, and his mind refused to leave it alone. He knew exactly what he wanted, but was at a loss of how to get there.

When he finally fell asleep several hours later he dreamt of his desired future.

_There was a small crowd of people sitting in rows in front of a small stage. General Sephiroth was holding a speech while Zack, along with a few other people, were standing lined up and at ease to the side. Suddenly his name was called and Zack marched up to the stage._

"_Congratulations on making it to SOLDIER Zachary. I knew you would make it." Sephiroth said as he shook Zack's hand._

_Zack felt himself swell with pride. He had done it. He turned his gaze to the crowd and spotted Cloud, who was smiling and clapping for him in congratulations._

…

"_How's your new job Cloud?"Zack asked his best friend._

_Cloud smiled, "It's good. It's weird to be working at a different reactor every day, but my co-workers have been really friendly and helpful."_

"_That's good to hear. I'm happy for you Spikey."_

_Zack emptied the glass from which he had been drinking. Earning a chuckle from Cloud when he belched loudly. The sound of his best friend's laughter made Zack feel very happy._

…

"_Long time no see Zack." A familiar female voice said._

_Zack looked up to see a smiling Tifa standing next to him, "Tifa!" He greeted happily as he enveloped her in a hug, "What are you doing in Midgar?"_

_Tifa returned the hug as she replied, "Opening up a bar of course." She leaned back a little bit, still smiling, "I heard you got into SOLDIER Zack. Congratulations."_

"_Thanks Tifa."Zack grinned widely while he stood a little bit straighter, proud as a peacock, abandoning the pose moments after when he thought of something, "Oh, but I bet Cloud would love to see you. Come on, I'll take you to him."_

_He took her hand and walked off._

…

"_We've got something to tell you Zack." Cloud said as the three of them were seated at a table._

"_What is it Spikey?"_

_Tifa and Cloud linked their hands as they smiled to each other, "We're dating."_

"_Really? That's awesome! I always knew you were perfect for each other."_

"_Thanks Zack." Cloud smiled._

More similar images flashed in front of his mind's eye. Always they were happy and smiling, doing what they dreamed of doing. It was their perfect little utopia, and now Zack had the opportunity to make it reality.

If only he could somehow convince Cloud.

0o0o0

"Zack?" Cloud called out softly while he shook his best friend's sleeping form.

Zack groaned, not really ready to wake up yet. If it wasn't for his tiredness for having had little sleep, then for the fact that he didn't want to leave his happy dreams.

"Zack, please wake up. I have to use the bathroom." Cloud pleaded as he shook a little harder.

The raven-haired young man grunted and reluctantly pulled himself from his slumber. He yawned widely and rubbed his eyes as he moved to get out of bed.

"Come on then." He croaked as he drowsily shuffled towards the bathroom with Cloud trailing behind him.

As usual Zack stayed right outside the room while Cloud ventured in alone, but he found himself having difficulty with keeping on talking to the blonde to assure him that he was still there. His pensive mood had returned, and he found his mind to be skipping to his concerns constantly. He knew what he wanted. Yesterday made him realize that there is nothing for them left in Nibelheim, certainly no hope. He wanted to take Sephiroth up on his offer. If he didn't do it now, then he would never, and be doomed to spend the rest of his life caring for his best friend who would most likely never recover. It would be best for him and for Cloud.

"Zack!"

Cloud's yell shook him out of his reverie, and he looked up to see his best friend stand in front of him.

"What's wrong Cloud?"

"You didn't say anything. I thought you'd gone away."

Zack then really took in the blonde's appearance. His eyes were wide with fear, though that began to diminish now that he could see his raven-haired friend. Further down his privates were still exposed, small drops of urine still clinging to the tip. In his haste to desperately confirm that Zack was still there Cloud hadn't even been able to make himself decent.

Once again he was confronted with how he even needed to confirm his presence to his best friend for a simple a task as nature's call, and how he had automatically moved to satisfy his need upon his pleading. If it wasn't for the fact that he zoned out, he would have resumed the rest of the day with the same automated moves and actions. He didn't even have to think about them anymore.

The realization steeled his resolve. He was going to get Cloud to Midgar. He didn't know how, but right now the city was his only hope.

0o0o0

Throughout the day Zack thought about how he was going to talk Cloud into going to Midgar. If yesterday's slip up was any indication any mention of the city would immediately block Cloud's remaining ability to think reasonably. He had to come up with a different way to approach the subject.

It was going to be harder than ever before though. Even though everything seemed to be the same, Zack noticed that they weren't. Normally while they were in the shop Cloud would sit quietly in the corner, almost as if he was trying to make himself invisible, while reading a book. But today he had shifted his stool so he could sit a little bit closer to his friend, and every other minute he would look up to make sure Zack was actually there. Also when Zack decided to sweep the floor or check their storage Cloud stayed closer to him than usual.

He wondered whether this was a result of Cloud's panic attack after waking up on his own while Zack was talking to Tifa yesterday. After all, Cloud had openly questioned his ability to trust Zack. Though he hadn't mentioned any of it today, it seemed that his actions spoke for him.

So Zack knew he had to be tactful. At least Cloud's good night's rest had seemingly made him slightly calmer, as was evident by him calming down very easily earlier this morning. Perhaps the General's Sleepel spell would continue to help him out.

Zack sighed and firmly pushed himself away from the counter which he had been leaning on. He walked up to the front door of their shop and locked it. As he turned around he saw that Cloud had left his stool and was standing a few feet away from him, another piece of evidence that he wanted to stay closer now, since before he would have just stayed on the stool. But Zack didn't plan to let it stop him this time.

"Let's go grab some lunch Cloud."

"Okay." Cloud nodded, but didn't move until Zack had walked past him and he could follow behind.

In the kitchen they grabbed a simple meal of a few slices of bread topped with smoked Nibel wolf meat. They ate in silence while Zack tried to find the best moment to breach the subject he desperately wanted to talk about. As he chewed on his sandwich and took in the taste he suddenly came up with an idea.

"I've never really liked Nibel wolf." Zack said casually while he took another bite from his sandwich, "It's so stringy. Why does it have to be Nibelheim's specialty?"

Cloud remained silent for a moment, but eventually responded, "Well there isn't much else to hunt around here. Unless you want to munch on some Kyuvilduns."

Zack made a face as he thought about eating the grasshopper like creatures that resided in Mount Nibel, "Ew, then I'd rather eat Nibel wolf for the rest of my life."

Zack chuckled, something he rarely did during these dark days, but Cloud remained silent. Their conversation threatened to die out before it had actually started, but Zack was determined to keep it going.

"Say Cloud, what would you like to try to eat at least once in your life?"

Cloud thought for a moment before answering, "Barbeque Chocobo."

"Good choice." Zack agreed.

"Though I've heard you can only get the good stuff at the Chocobo ranch near the Mythril mines."

Zack sighed and looked at his half-eaten sandwich with a desponded expression, "I guess we're stuck with Nibel wolf then." He took another bite, thinking quickly about how to steer this conversation the way he wanted it to go, "We could always go there though." He suggested carefully, watching his best friend carefully for any sign of panic, but relieved when he saw none.

"Yeah right." Cloud snorted, "And how would we get there Zack? It's not even on this continent."

Zack took a deep breath, knowing that this was the moment of truth, "We could easily get there from Midgar."

Cloud froze, and Zack feared what was coming, but was surprised when the blonde seemed to relax again, "We can't get there either. It's still on the other continent." He said in a strained voice.

Zack sighed, glad that Cloud didn't panic right away, but being perfectly aware that he was stepping dangerously close to that line. He had to tread very carefully from now on if he wanted to succeed. Perhaps a shift of topic would do the trick.

"Cloud? How do you see your future?"

"What do you mean Zack? I'll be here, with you. You take care of the shop and me, and that's all."

Cloud had looked away while he was saying those words. It was as if he was saying them, but at the same time knew that he shouldn't. Like he knew that this wasn't the life that he wanted, but the only thing that he knew worked to suit his current needs.

And Zack caught on to that, "Is that what you really want Cloud?" He questioned carefully, but firmly.

Cloud's shoulders tensed again, but Zack knew that if he utilized this situation well he might be able to convince him. So he pressed on.

"Do you really want to stay in a town that you hate for the rest of your life? Following me around day in and out, not even able to do the most simple things without me near you? Is that truly how you want your future to be?"

While Zack was talking Cloud started to hug himself tightly, closing his eyes as he rocked a bit back and forth, "Zack I…I-I…just can't…"

"I know it's hard Cloud." Zack said gently while he placed a gentle hand on the blonde's shoulder, "Change is always difficult, and I can only imagine how much more difficult it is for you. But please, I only want you to get better. I want you to be able to do what you want to do with your life without regrets. I want you to be proud of yourself. I'll always be your friend and I won't leave you."

Cloud remained silent while he tried to keep himself as calm as he possibly could. His automatic reaction would be to deny that their situation wasn't ideal; to yell, cry and beg Zack to drop the matter. After all, having Zack give in to his needs like he had the previous year was the easiest option. In the same way it's easier for an addict to give in to the addiction rather than to fight it, it was easier for Cloud to give in to his need to be close to Zack, and doing this meant staying in Nibelheim. Going somewhere else just brought too many insecurities than he felt he could deal with, especially if they would go to Midgar, where temptation would be lurking around every corner.

Yet at the same time Zack's words triggered something inside of him. Hidden deeply beneath the staggering amount of fear and anxiety he had was a small wish to leave all the bad things behind. He wanted to forget his father's death and how nobody believed him. He wanted to forget how his mother had slowly withered away over the course of four years, leaving him to basically take care of both her and himself. It was ironic how he now put Zack in the same shoes as he had been while he had felt that nobody should be put in that position in the first place. He wanted to forget it all, and staying in Nibelheim surely wasn't going to achieve any of it.

But he hated how he just couldn't stop himself from reacting the way he usually did. Any uncertainty simply overloaded his senses and rational thought. Yet, though he hated it he also found a strange sense of comfort whenever Zack's attention made him calm down. He was at an impasse; Zack's presence and attention calmed him down and made it able for him to think at least a little bit rationally, but at the same time this same presence and attention made it unnecessary for him to do so.

Zack observed his friend while the latter's mind was going in circles. It confused him. Normally Cloud would have been freaking out by now, but his silence clearly showed that the blonde was battling it. The raven-haired young man was glad for this. Even if Cloud would eventually freak out, the fact that he was fighting it was a small victory in its own. It also gave him hope, because it also meant that he wasn't too far gone that there was no hope for salvation.

"Why Midgar?" Cloud eventually managed to say, "Can't we go somewhere else?"

Zack couldn't help but grin. It seemed like the rational part of Cloud was finally winning. He knew he had to remain careful though. It wouldn't take much for Cloud to shut down after all.

"If there was any other place that we could get the help we need for you Cloud I would take you there. But I think Midgar is our only option."

"But…" Cloud protested weakly, as if he was on the verge of losing control, "Wha-what about S-S-SOLDIER?"

Zack briefly considered telling Cloud about the details of Sephiroth's offer. The man would get them to Midgar in return for Zack's eventual joining of the SOLDIER programme. But he soon disregarded it. It was amazing how much progress he'd made in this conversation, and telling Cloud this would surely negate it all. No, it would be best to keep away from the details for now.

"It would be great if you would eventually be well enough so I could join SOLDIER after all, but you are my number one priority right now Cloud. I will be there to help you for as long as you need me."

"Even if it's for the rest of my life and you can never join SOLDIER?"

This was it. A simple yes would probably be enough to convince Cloud. But Zack didn't want to utter it, since he knew that it was a blatant lie. Them getting to Midgar meant that he would eventually have to join SOLDIER, whether Cloud would get better or not. He suddenly doubted the risk. What if Cloud simply couldn't get better? Or not soon enough?

He wanted to banish the dark thought from his mind, but it kept haunting him. If today had been any indication then it meant that there was still hope for his best friend, but there were still so many uncertainties that doubt was the only natural reaction. If only he had some more details on Sephiroth's offer to him, and how much time Cloud would need to make enough progress in his recovery, then he would be able to be much more confident in his choice.

He took another good look at the blonde, seeing his expectant face waiting for an answer. Within his blue eyes Zack could see fear and hope battling against one another. He knew that his answer would tip the balance.

'Gaia, please let me make the right decision.' He silently prayed as he answered, "Yes."

0o0o0

Sephiroth hated it when he had to clean up other people's mistakes. He had expected there to be trouble when he had been send on this routine check up to fix a malfunction, but he hadn't expected to have to take such drastic measures. The malfunction involved the security of the pods that kept the Makonoids safely sealed inside. Some of them hadn't been working properly and a few of the vile fiends had even managed to break out. The scientists had been able to subdue them, but one of them had actually been smart enough to report the problem back to Shinra headquarters, resulting in him being sent to investigate.

He looked at the dead Makonoid at his feet in disgust. Professor Hojo would not be pleased when he would file his official report, stating that he had to destroy all the research that had been done at the reactor. But there was no other alternative. If it had simply been fixing the malfunctioning pods it wouldn't have been that much of a problem, but the rumours that circulated through the town at the foot of the mountain were simply hitting too close to the truth for comfort. Shinra couldn't risk letting the truth of their projects be exposed to the common people. They already had enough to deal with with AVALANCHE opposing them, advocating to the world that Mako energy was destroying the planet. If the terrorists would get their hands on proof that Shinra was using the very same Mako to create monsters out of human beings there would be no stopping them from gaining more support.

And so Sephiroth found himself destroying every scrap of evidence that was at the reactor. Reports that were lying around and of course the Makonoids themselves needed to be completely eradicated.

0o0o0

Mister Lockheart found himself to be utterly bored out of his mind right now. He had been excited when he had been chosen to escort the great General to the reactor, but once there all he was allowed to do was wait outside. He didn't understand why though. He had worked at the reactor for twenty years now. He knew his way around the structure like his own home. Surely there was something he could do to help fix whatever malfunction there was. But when he had tried to tell Sephiroth as much he had only received a dismissive gesture in return, followed by Sephiroth ordering his men to keep guard at the entrance.

Now if at least those men would have been decent company, then it wouldn't have been that much of a bore. But they hardly paid attention to him, instead choosing to talk to one another about things that they didn't feel like sharing with mister Lockheart. Likewise the man cringed whenever the guards' conversation shifted to topics like drinking, girls and even guys. Being from a town like Nibelhiem with its old-fashioned customs Tifa's father felt that the men were speaking of sins unimaginable.

In his bored state his mind kept returning to the silver-haired General inside the reactor. He still believed that if he would go in and help out they could get back that much sooner. What was the harm in it anyway? He took another glance at the conversing infantrymen a small distance away. Seeing that they really didn't watch what he was doing, he walked up the stairs to the entrance and slipped inside.

0o0o0

Sephiroth returned to the room one last time. There was one Makonoid body left to dispose of and then he would be done. After that he could lock the door and go back down the mountain and finish his mission there. He truly hoped he had given Zack enough time to consider his proposal, and that his answer would be favourable. He simply wouldn't have time to dawdle after this. Once he came back Itsuwaru would have to do his part, and after that it would be too late.

The General effortlessly lifted the lifeless Makonoid off the ground, being careful not to let its Mako-infused blood get on his clothes. Not only would it be impossible to wash it out, it would also raise questions with everyone who saw it. After all, blood usually wasn't green. He took the body outside to the place where Cloud's father had supposedly died six years ago. The pool of Mako down below had proven to be the perfect place to dispose of bodies in.

What Sephiroth hadn't expected though, was seeing his guide walk up towards him. He cursed under his breath for the man's apparent curiosity, and vowed to make sure that his men would get the punishment they deserved for their negligence.

Mister Lockheart's eyes grew wide when he spotted the General. Though it wasn't for the man himself, but for the creature he was dragging along with him.

"Wha…what is that thing?" He asked fearfully.

But Sephiroth didn't answer the question. Instead he threw the Makonoid over the railing, watching how the other man followed the body with his eyes as it fell down into the pool of green fluid. He then took out Masamune, and pointed it at the now cowering individual.

"I-it's true isn't it? Th-the m-monsters…"

"Yes." The General said simply.

"Wha-what are y-you going to-to do to me?"

"You now possess dangerous knowledge that I don't want you to have."

"I-I'll keep quiet. Really, I won't say anything."

Sephiroth cocked his head a little, as if considering the man's words. After all, the man's fate was sealed whether the General chose to kill him right here or not. Still, was that a risk he was willing to take? If the man wouldn't stay quiet he could cause mass hysteria that wouldn't be beneficial to anyone. No, it was best to take care of him right now rather than allow him the chance to cause trouble later.

"I'm afraid I cannot let you."

Mister Lockheart barely felt the sword go through him. The General's aim had been swift and sure, piercing his heart and killing him instantly. It was the least he could offer the man.

Sephiroth withdrew his sword, watching how the man slumped as lifelessly to the ground as the Makonoids had before him. He felt a pang of regret. Though he didn't hesitate to take decisions like this he couldn't say that he liked taking them. He killed monsters without thinking twice about it, but killing humans was an entirely different matter. But he had learned to deal with the necessity of the task. Whether it was by his sword or not the man would have died today. He could take at least some solace that this man's death had been swift and painless.

0o0o0

**A/N: **Gosh! That was so unexpected, even for me! It really took a while for me to figure out how Cloud was going to react once he woke up after the Sleepel spell. I would have thought he would have freaked out again, but I had no clue as to how Zack was going to deal with that one AND bringing up Midgar again. So instead I just let Cloud's actions speak for him. I really loved their conversation though. And added a cliffy to boot! Don't you all hate me now? :P

Seph is awesome. I really enjoy writing him, and it's slightly easier than I expected. But he killed Tifa's father, just like in the game. Now what is he going to tell Tifa? Find out in the next chapter, which, I might already reveal, is going to be much longer than my other chapters. So look forward to that in two weeks!

Until next time! Leave a review on your way out please!


	6. New Opportunities

**A/N: **Welcome to chapter 6 of Fractured Love!

This chapter is quite a bit longer to what I'm used to writing. I couldn't split it up though. It just needed to end where it does. You'll understand when you get though it all. I don't mind though. I'd rather type up longer than shorter chapters for you guys and girls :).

Without any further ado, I'll let you get to reading. Remember, I do not own FF7 or any of its characters, Zack and Cloud rock, and Sephiroth is the best antagonist ever created.

Enjoy!

0o0o0

**New Opportunities**

Tifa was out sweeping the front lawn when she noticed the General and his men return from the reactor. She mentally prepared herself for her father's return, knowing that he would probably start ranting about how great a man Sephiroth was and how Zack should join SOLDIER and so on. He wouldn't shut up about it last night and it had annoyed her greatly. For a moment she had thought her father was going to try to hook her up with the General, but luckily that hadn't been the case. She wouldn't have been surprised if her father had though. After all, Sephiroth was the most eligible bachelor in the entire world. Despite the age difference any father would be proud to have the man as his son-in-law.

The age difference also didn't stop Tifa from fantasizing about being with the man either. She was a fifteen-year-old girl with raging hormones after all. Like most girls her age she also thought he was devilishly handsome , and sometimes fantasized about what he would be like as a lover. Would he be as cold and dominating as he appeared to be, or would he be an entirely different man, warm and gentle?

But despite her fantasies they were just that; fantasies. She didn't realistically believe herself to ever be the man's girlfriend, nor did she want to. She had her eyes set on one person, even if her father didn't approve of him. She wanted Cloud to get better so she could settle down with him. She knew for sure that Cloud would be kind and gentle in their relationship, respecting her as an individual and allowing her to pursue any dreams she had. Cloud simply was that kind of person.

While she thought about these things she didn't notice that her father wasn't actually present with the returning party. She simply continued to sweep the lawn while her thoughts wandered off, until the silver-haired General stopped in front of her.

"Miss Lockheart?" Sephiroth addressed the girl, startling her out of her pensive mood.

"Yes?" Tifa asked, clutching the broomstick close while she stared at the man.

"I regret to inform you that there was an accident during our mission, resulting in your father's death."

Tifa's eyes grew wide. For a moment her mind was unable to process the man's words. She tried to convince herself that she had misunderstood; that the man had said something completely different, but his grave posture told him that she had heard him right the first time. This was a man who could emotionally detach himself from the situation and firmly bring the news that others would be unwilling to share.

He stared at her with an expression that was bordering on sympathy and indifference, waiting for her response. To Tifa it felt both cruel and calming. Some part of her wanted Sephiroth to shed a tear over her father's death, bringing a physical expression to the feeling that started to bubble up inside of her. She hated him for just standing there like he had simply informed her that her father was running a little late. Yet at the same time the man's composed demeanour helped her remain calm herself. It was as if she was drawing some of his strength and it kept her from breaking down completely.

As the words started to sink in she clutched the broomstick even closer, leaning on it to keep her buckling knees from giving out. She took a few deep breaths as she lowered her eyes to the ground, drawing as much strength as she could muster to keep herself from breaking down after all.

"What happened?" She asked with a voice that sounded more steady than she had expected it would.

Sephiroth regarded the young girl in front of him, admiring her ability to stay strong despite her obvious shock. It made everything so much easier for both him and her. He wouldn't have been able to comfort her had she chosen to break down into tears, and he would have risked harming her if she had started to pummel him in a fit of grief-inspired rage.

But the fact that she chose neither of these reactions also gave rise to a pang of regret within himself. His admiration for the girl would be only brief considering what was going to happen to this town upon his leaving. It made him hate Itsuwaru and his incompetence even more. From what he had seen of this town and its inhabitants during his stay here he was convinced that they truly didn't deserve the fate that was coming to them.

The only solace that he had was that he had come up with a cover up that should at least give this girl some peace of mind before her own demise, "We were attacked by a dragon on the way back from the reactor. Although your father stayed back as ordered, the dragon's fire burned down the rope bridge he was standing on. Sadly he could not get off in time before the ropes snapped."

Tifa felt sick to her stomach. That bridge had been the cause of many casualties in the past, and now it had claimed her father as a victim as well, "What will happen now?" She wondered.

Sephiroth hesitated briefly. His normal response would be to inform the girl that she would be receiving financial aid because her father had died while on official Shinra business. He knew that money couldn't compensate for the loss a person had suffered, but is was per Shinra protocol that any person's family would receive it to help them back on their feet. The amount was really laughable in comparison, not really able to be of much help to the victim's family, but by offering it without question it ensured the people's loyalty to the company.

But the in fact unhelpful monetary recompense was not the reason for Sephiroth's hesitation. He would be more than happy to offer her whatever he could to help. No, the reason for his slight doubt was the fact that she would never receive any of it. She would be joining her father very soon, and it continued to eat at him.

'Damn Itsuwaru and his foolishness.' He thought again, but pushed the thought aside to do what he had to do, "Since your father died while assisting in official Shinra business you will be recompensed for your loss."

Tifa nodded in understanding, knowing that the General couldn't bring her father back and that refusing whatever was offered to her in return was foolish, "I understand. Now, if there's nothing else I'd like to be alone for a moment."

Sephiroth nodded, "I understand miss Lockheart. I will see to it that the arrangements are made. I shall leave you alone with your grief."

With those words he turned around and left the girl alone. Tifa managed to turn around and go back inside her house. The whole time she felt disconnected from the world, as if her body was moving on its own instead of her consciously telling it to. She found her way to her father's bedroom as if by instinct, and there she let herself fall on top of his bed. She clutched his pillow close and inhaled what scent remained after her father had last used it last night. Tears now ran freely over her cheeks as she sobbed quietly.

It was strange to her. She had never had a great bond with her father. Him disapproving of Cloud and forcing her to abide by Nibelheim's suffocating traditions had made her slightly resent him even. She had never really hated him, because she knew that he was acting in what he thought to be in her best interest. It had gotten worse when her mother had died when she was only seven years old. With his attention now fully focussed on her he had made it his quest to see to it that his daughter would have a good future.

Yet here she was now, feeling the same pain she had felt after her mother's death and crying to relieve the edge of it. There really was no other difference other than the fact that she was older now. It was strange, yet at the same time she was relieved. The fact that she was able to mourn her father in the same way that she had done her mother told her that she had more of a bond with her father than she had thought.

0o0o0

After Sephiroth had left the girl he didn't immediately go to Zack. He wanted to give the young man as much time as possible. Also, he had to confirm Itsuwaru would do his part, and make sure he wouldn't screw up with his timing. He needed Zack and his friend to be away from Nibelheim should the young man chose to take up his offer. It wouldn't do well for either of them to witness their hometown being destroyed. Though it had been obvious they held no love for the town, witnessing its destruction surely wouldn't sit well with them.

He made his way to the Shinra mansion and down to the library in the basement. Upon entering he saw how the small group of scientists were furiously going through every scrap of documentation that they had accumulated over the years. It appeared that they were sorting through them in search of everything that Itsuwaru thought to be invaluable.

The General felt annoyance creep up inside of him, and immediately looked around to find the foolish man. He spotted him at the other end of the library, sorting through documents while seated at his desk.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sephiroth demanded to know.

Itsuwaru cringed slightly from the tone the General was using, but quickly recovered and lifted his head to face the man, "Attempting to salvage whatever I can of my research." He replied while pushing his glasses back up his nose.

"You will do nothing of the sort. Your orders are to destroy everything."

"You have no idea how invaluable this research is General." Itsuwaru scowled, "I've spent years on this and am not about to just throw it away."

Sephiroth put his hands on the desk, leaning forward and looming over the scientist. He saw how the man nervously swallowed and once again pushed his glasses up his nose despite his attempts to keep up an air of authority.

"My orders are absolute. Leaving any evidence to potentially be found could serve to be incriminating to the company and render this entire cover up useless. It would be foolish to think that people won't question this town's destruction. If AVALANCHE finds out the truth about what has happened we will have an even more serious problem. Only if there is no evidence left to find could Shinra get away with this."

"Who said anything about leaving behind evidence?" Itsuwaru shot back, regaining a little bit of his confidence, "I plan on taking it with me back to Midgar."

Sephiroth shook his head, "If you think taking this back to Midgar will appease Hojo enough to let you continue working on it that you are mistaken. The man doesn't handle failures well and will most likely dismiss whatever you have managed to find out."

"But…" Itsuwaru stammered, having lost his confidence, "My research…"

"Was doomed to fail the moment you started falsifying reports six years ago." Sephiroth supplemented.

The scientist fell silent, having no more means to convince the General otherwise. Seeing his victory over the man Sephiroth leaned back to stand up straight.

"Use the materia I gave you to make sure everything in here is destroyed. Don't let even one insignificant document remain. Then go to town, but wait until I've left. Then finish up the job."

"Right…"

With shaking hands Itsuwaru took the green orb from his pocket and activated it. The reports on his desk instantly caught on fire, the flames eating away at the defenceless paper until nothing was left. Satisfied with the reaction Sephiroth turned on his heels and left.

0o0o0

Even after the tears had stopped Tifa remained lying in her father's bed for a while. Having calmed down a bit now she was able to think more clearly. Her thoughts turned to the future. Her father had been a constant in her life and now he was gone. She was all alone now and challenged to start making ends meet. She remembered that the General had mentioned a compensation for her loss, but had no idea what it entailed.

The insecurity worried her, but at the same time she knew the people of Nibelheim would help her out. Her father had been a respected man, and as soon as word of his death came out people would probably start flocking towards her, offering her any help they could give.

Strangely enough this thought, which should have comforted her, only managed to make her angrier. It wasn't fair how she would be getting the help she needed to get back on her feet, while Cloud only had Zack to help him out. Just for that fact she didn't want any of it either. She was going to be strong and manage all by herself.

With her mind made up she dried her face with her sleeve. With a final sniff she carefully put the pillow she had been hugging back in its place. She smoothed out the wrinkles she'd made, feeling oddly guilty over the wet patch her tears had left behind. She briefly contemplated whether to change the cover, but immediately her mind told her that it wasn't necessary, at least not now. Her father wouldn't be sleeping on it anymore anyways.

She felt a fresh wave of tears surging up behind her eyes, and she pressed the palms of her hands against them in an attempt to stem their flow. She wanted to be brave. She had grieved over her father's death, and now it was time to move on, but her emotions refused to listen to her mind. She blindly made her way to the bathroom, where she turned on the tap and splashed her face with water to soothe her burning eyes. The freshness of the water felt good on her heated skin, but it did little to stem the flow of tears.

She looked up in the mirror to stare at herself. Her face was red, as were her eyes. Her brown hair was a bit dishevelled where she had pressed her face in the pillow earlier. This was not the strong Tifa she expected to see, instead she saw a sad young girl. She felt painfully alone right then and not ready to take on anything the future had to offer. She needed someone to comfort her; to tell her that everything would be okay. She only knew of one person who could.

0o0o0

Zack was stuffing clothes into two separate bags. Much to his relief he had been able to convince his best friend to give going to Midgar a try. He had given the blonde a long and firm hug at the compliance, thanking and praising him profusely for being strong enough to concede. He hadn't wasted any time and gone upstairs to pack their bags. Luckily they hadn't much to begin with. Both had just a few sets of clothes and a couple of trinkets they would need in their new home. But Zack knew that the General was bound for Midgar later that day, and he didn't seem like the type who would appreciate any delays, so he had best make sure they would be pretty much set to go as soon as the man returned.

Cloud had been silent the whole time as he watched Zack from his seat on the bed. Despite his earlier concession the mental battle was still raging on. He wanted to take back what he had said; to stop Zack from packing those bags and go back to the life he knew in Nibelheim. The insecurities for what lay ahead of them were enough to drive him insane, and yet he kept his mouth shut. Without being fully aware of it he enjoyed seeing Zack so energized. It was almost as if the last year hadn't happened and they were simply two friends packing up to go on a vacation to Costa del Sol. All the stress had seemed to be lifted off the raven-haired shoulders, causing the bubbly and friendly young man Cloud knew Zack to be to resurface. It silently encouraged him to go through with it, and it was strong enough to keep him passive.

Zack's packing and Cloud's internal battle were interrupted by a knock on the door. Zack frowned. It was only a few hours after lunch and he hadn't expected the General to be this early. Nevertheless he got up and walked downstairs to open it, Cloud nervously trailing behind him as always. They were both in for a surprise when Zack opened the door to reveal Tifa standing behind it, looking terrible.

"Tifa? What's wrong?" Zack asked in concern.

Tifa didn't hesitate in walking right into Zack's arms and holding him tightly. The young man gently held her back in return, sensing that something awful must have happened for her to seek comfort like this. For a brief moment he'd thought that she had somehow heard that he was going away, and that she was sad to see them leave. But there was no way for her to know about his decision, and if anything she would probably be happy. Sure she might have cried a bit, but with the way she looked like she had been crying for a long time before coming here told him that something different was going on. But instead of pressing the issue he simply continued to hold her while she composed herself enough to tell him why she was so upset.

"Dad died." She said in-between her soft sobs.

Zack's eyes grew wide in disbelief, and his heart went out to the young girl, who now had no one left in her life. He briefly glanced at Cloud, seeing how he had clapped his hands in front of his mouth and was staring at them with wide eyes, trembling slightly. He instantly wished for two things. One that Cloud could keep it together while he focussed on comforting Tifa, and two that Tifa wouldn't break down in the same way Cloud had.

He acted quickly. He closed the door behind Tifa and led her to the living room. Once they had reached the couch he gently pushed down on her shoulders to silently tell Tifa to sit down, which she did. He sat down next to her, feeling Cloud sit next to him on the other side, still trembling but otherwise silent.

"Want to tell me what happened?" He asked softly while continuing to rub Tifa's back in comfort.

The action did wonders to Tifa's emotions and she felt oddly calm when she lifted her head to respond, "The General said that they were attacked by a dragon, and that dad fell off the rope bridge."

"Damn." Zack swore, knowing that that bridge had always been unreliable, "I'm sorry for your loss Tifa."

"Thanks Zack." She smiled a small smile as she dried her eyes, "I'll be okay though. I just needed someone to talk to for a moment."

"No problem Tifa."

Zack smiled back, again glancing briefly to Cloud, who had been very quiet. That wasn't odd though, since he rarely ever talked while other people were around, let along to other people. He'd hoped his greeting to Tifa a few days ago would have motivated him to be a bit more open towards the girl though, but at the same time knew that it was too much to hope for. Thankfully he looked fine for the moment, so he could continue to focus his efforts on the brunette.

"What are you going to do now?"

"I'm not sure yet." Tifa answered, taking a deep breath, "The General mentioned that I would be compensated for my loss, but other than that I don't know anything."

Zack sighed, "Well, I wish I could be there for you Tifa, but I've managed to convince Cloud to go to Midgar."

"Really?" Tifa lit up, a more genuine smile settling on her features, "But that's great news Zack. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks Tifa, but will you be all right here by yourself?"

Tifa bit her lip and leaned backwards into the soft cushions of the couch, "You know, maybe this was meant to be." Zack looked at her in curiosity, not knowing what she was implying. Tifa noticed the look and elaborated, "Now that my father is gone I'm free to do whatever I want. Perhaps I can keep up my end of the promise after all."

"You mean opening up a bar?"

Tifa nodded, "Yeah. I'll have to make ends meet somehow."

"But can you manage that all by yourself?" Zack questioned sceptically.

It wasn't that he didn't want Tifa to fulfil her dream. If anything he was glad that her father's death motivated her to do what she dreamed of doing. But he feared that her grief and naïveté made her plans a bit unrealistic. He would have been happy to help her out if he could, but considering his own plans to move away he knew that he couldn't, and feared that the girl would walk down a path she couldn't cope with.

Tifa thought about his words for a while, shoving her grief aside for a moment to really think about things. But she didn't know what else she should do. Doing nothing likely meant that one of the other families of Nibelheim would take her in until she was old enough to marry one son or the other. In the end nothing would really change, and she would be forced to live the life she never really wanted to live. This was her opportunity, and she had to take it now.

"I don't think opening up a bar here would do me much good anyway." She eventually said, "So how about if I go with you to Midgar?"

"Seriously? You'd come with us?"

"Yeah. I think that's the best option. I'll have to ask the General whether he minds me coming along too. And maybe…" She briefly glanced towards Cloud, who was still silent, "Maybe I can help with Cloud too, and then you can join SOL-"

"No!" Cloud suddenly yelled, making Tifa flinch back, "No Zack! You promised you wouldn't join SOLDIER. Please! I don't want you to leave. I'd rather stay here then. We can help Tifa if we stay here, right? Please Zack don't-"

"Calm down Cloud." Zack interrupted his tirade while he held the blonde close, "My promise to you doesn't change just because Tifa is coming along. We're going to Midgar to find a new and better life, and I will stay right by your side for as long as you need me."

Cloud continued to whimper softly while he held onto Zack. He had already been nervous and insecure about going to Midgar, but had been reassured by Zack concession that he wouldn't leave his side while he needed him, even if it meant for the rest of their lives. But now hearing about Tifa's father made him relive the memory of his own father's death again, and he had been putting all of his efforts to not freak out while Zack and Tifa were talking. Yet at the same moment that Tifa mentioned the possibility of Zack joining SOLDIER he just couldn't keep it in. Fear took over his frantic mind and all he could do was let it run on autopilot, which meant begging Zack to stay with him.

Tifa found it difficult to recover from the shock she had just received. Once again she was confronted with just how bad Cloud's condition was, and she felt bad for bringing up SOLDIER. She felt that she should have known it would trigger a reaction from the blonde. Her grief over her father's death was instantly forgotten and replaced with the familiar desire to help Cloud. If only she knew how to do so. For now her mere presence was obviously counterproductive.

"I'm sorry Zack." She said as she got up, "I shouldn't have brought it up."

"It's fine Tifa. You didn't know." He reassured her gently while still trying to calm down the panicking blonde in his arms.

"I should go. Maybe this was all a bad idea."

Tifa started to walk away, but was stopped by Zack, who shot out a hand to grab her wrist, "I think it's a great idea that you're coming to Midgar with us."

The brunette studied the raven-haired young man's face, seeing only the sincerity shining in his eyes. It pained her so much that Zack still had the energy to comfort and advise her, while he had the difficult task in caring for Cloud. She knew that it took a toll on him, and yet he kept on pushing. He was probably the most selfless person in the entire world, and the mental strength he possessed awed her.

'He should be in SOLDIER, and maybe, maybe if I follow them I can make his dream come true. I will help him in taking care of Cloud. It'll be difficult, but we'll find help. Things will be all right.' She thought to herself, causing her to smile a little bit. Finally she could do something productive, "Thanks Zack. I'll go pack my bags then."

Zack smiled gratefully and nodded, letting go of Tifa's wrist, "I'll make sure we'll wait for you, but don't take too long. The General wants to leave as soon as he's done here."

Tifa nodded, "I'll get going then."

0o0o0

It had been approximately an hour after Tifa had left when Zack put the last bag by the door. He had luckily been able to calm Cloud down again and finish up their packing. Both had a bag with some spare clothing and a box with other items they wished to take along, like Cloud's books and Zack's sword. If they had had the opportunity both boys would have liked to take along more, but they had everything they would need.

Zack had to admit that he was proud of Cloud. Even though he was obviously tense and reluctant to go he had managed to control himself for the most part. He had a little outburst every now and then, but with a little coaxing Zack was able to keep it to a minimum.

He did notice how his best friend suddenly started to tremble violently when there was another knock on the door. Zack gently put a hand around his shoulders and softly encouraged him while they walked up to the door, opening it to reveal the silver-haired General.

Sephiroth's eyes quickly took in the scene, not only noticing the two boys in front of him, but also the two bags and boxes. He inwardly smiled, drawing the conclusion that he would be getting passengers after all.

"Good day mister Fair. I trust that you have made your decision?"

Zack nodded, "We have sir. We'd like to take up your offer."

Sephiroth nodded approvingly, "I think that's a very wise decision, and am very glad to hear that. We can leave as soon as you've loaded your packs into the chopper."

"Sir, can I make one request?"

The General frowned lightly and crossed his arms. He briefly glanced to the trembling blonde, who made every effort to stay as close to Zack as he could while also trying to hide from the intimidating man. He wondered whether it had something to do with him, but wasn't the man to make assumptions like that, so instead said, "What kind of request?"

"Well," Zack started as he rubbed the back of his head, "I was wondering whether it would be okay if another person would be coming with us."

"I offered you a lift only because I see potential in you mister Fair, and you're allowed to bring along your friend because it's necessary." Sephiroth responded in a disapproving tone, "I do not, however, run a taxi service."

Zack felt his gut wrench, but didn't want to give up, "I understand that sir, I really do. But Tifa has just lost the last family member she had left, and I think she can really help in making Cloud better."

"Tifa?" Sephiroth questioned, knowing that the name was familiar, "The Lockheart girl?"

"Yes sir. Her father was the only one left in her life, but now she wants to start a new life in Midgar. She's also the only one that I know Cloud could open up to, so it might be beneficial to take her along."

Sephiroth thought about it. He liked the idea that he would be able to save the girl he had admired for her strength before, and if what this young man had said was true, then it might actually work out for the better in the long run. It was obvious that Zack would feel a lot better if he knew Cloud was with someone he knew once he would join the SOLDIER programme, as was their deal.

"Very well then, but under one condition."

"What is it?"

"The next SOLDIER training programme will start in one month. I expect you to join then."

"What?!" Cloud shouted, finally letting his presence be known, "No Zack, no! You can't! One month isn't enough! You promised me you would only join SOLDIER if I would ever get better. Please Zack! Let's stay here."

While Cloud continued panicking Zack noticed how Sephiroth took a green materia orb from his pocket again. He didn't activate it immediately though, but quirked his eyebrow in question, wanting to know what his response would be. Zack looked back at Cloud, wanting to give in, but at the same time knowing he had already come too far to stop now.

"I'm sorry Cloud." He said, giving a nod to the General.

Sephiroth activated the materia and the Sleepel spell soon made the blond stop his panic attack and fall numbly into his best friend's arms.

"I believe it's for the best Spikey."

0o0o0

The chopper was ready to go. Their bags and boxes had been put on board and Zack had made sure Cloud had been secured safely in his seatbelt before fastening his own. Tifa sat on his other side, putting her hand on his and nodding encouragingly. She knew it was going to be a very tough time for the three of them, but had faith that they were going to make it. Feeling a bit more at ease as the gesture Zack squeezed back, giving her a small smile.

Outside, the two grunts tried to enter the chopper themselves, but were stopped by the General. They looked at him with confusion, not knowing why they weren't allowed to board yet.

"This town is soon going to be burned to the ground." He said softly enough so the trio behind him wouldn't hear his words over the sound of the rotor blades, "Your orders are to make sure nothing remains."

"Sir." One of the grunts spoke up, "But how will we get back to base?"

"Shinra will most likely send a cleanup crew shortly after I report the results of our mission. Consider your time here as your punishment for your lack of conduct and allowing our guide to slip past you and into the reactor."

Both grunts blanched, but didn't try to argue with their commanding officer, knowing that it was no use. Satisfied with the response the General boarded the chopper and took his seat across from the trio, buckling up and signalling the pilot they were ready to go.

Zack and Tifa both felt a strange mix of both doubt and excitement. They did not notice how their hometown was starting to burn to the ground as they flew over the mountains and to their new lives.

0o0o0

**A/N: **And that, my friends, wraps up the first arc of this story! Cloud, Zack and Tifa are on their way to Midgar while their hometown is burning to the ground. Their new lives will begin in the next chapter.

I just wonder, what would Seph be like running a taxi service? XD

I love Tifa in this chapter. I allowed her to grieve while also making her look to the future. I think it suits her character. In any case she needed some character building before they headed off, and this was the perfect opportunity.

What trial and tribulations will await the trio in Midgar? Will they ever find out the fate of their hometown? Will the one month that they have be enough for Cloud to deal with Zack going away? Find out in the next chapters.

Until next time! Leave a review on your way out please!


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